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October: Week 1

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Week 1  |  Week 2  |  Week 3  |  Week 4

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Sandhill cranes
 Photos by Laura Erickson


Sandhill cranes like wet areas and feed on grains and seeds, as well as insects, small snakes, and mice. They weigh about 10-12 pounds and have a wingspan of 6-7 feet! The only other crane species in the US is the endangered whooping crane.

Sandhill Cranes Stage

As fall approaches, these very territorial birds become more and more social. Eventually, they come together in groups of several thousand in wetland locations called staging areas. During the day the birds fly away from these areas to feed in preparation for their upcoming migration. They then return to the staging area each night to roost (sleep). Sleeping in large groups give the birds the benefit of greater protection from predators. Soon these cranes will migrate to the southern reaches of the US and northern Mexico.They usually have two chicks who will follow them on their journey. These chicks will stay with their parents until they return to their breeding grounds in the spring and are then chased off. Mated crane pairs stay together year round, and may live to be 25!
cranes in flight 

Hear this bird's call: Click

Learn more: International Crane Foundation

 

red oak leaves

 
The best fall colors are produced by warm, sunny days and cool but not freezing nights.

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

Decidious trees have a chemical clock which tells them when days get shorter and nights longer. This is a sure sign that it's time to prepare for winter weather and alter their leaves.

How do they do it?

Leaves have several types of pigments (chemicals in charge of color). The one we are most familiar with is chlorophyll, which makes the green color we see in leaves all spring and summer. It's also responsible for photosynthesis (turning sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars that feed the tree). In the fall, trees shut down and stops making chlorophyll. As the chlorophyll disappears, another pigment in the leaves become visible: carotenoids. These pigments make the yellows, oranges and browns that we see in sugar maple, aspen, birch, and ash trees.

In late summer, some trees also produce pigments called anthocyanins in their leaves. These combine with the carotenoids and create the bright fiery reds and oranges of red maple, oak, sumac, and dogwood trees.

Why do leaves fall?

As cool weather approaches, a special layer of cells called the abscision layer forms between the leaves and where they attach to the branch. The abscision layer seperates the leaf from the branch and allows it to fall. Oak and beech trees are an exception: their leaves often stay on the tree throughout winter.

Learn more: Why Leaves Change Color

 
chipmunk
 You may have heard the chipmunk's call: a low "chuk-chuk-chuk."

Hear this animal's call

(Photo by John Mosesse/NBII)

Chipmunks Ready for Winter

These diurnal (day active) creatures eat seeds, berries, nuts, bulbs, insects, and mushrooms. As winter approaches, they will be caching (storing) these items in special rooms of their private underground burrows. They can store up to 8 pounds of food there! In winter, they will go into periods of deep sleep called torpor, waking periodically to eat some of their cache.

Did you know? Chipmunks have cheek pouches that can stretch to hold 9 large nuts: 4 in each pouch and one between their cheeks. They also use their cheek pouches to carry away dirt from their tunnels which helps them disguise the entrance. Even with this clever trick, most chipmunks only live 2-3 years.

Learn more: Natureworks

 
Sunset Lake



Sunset Lake Begins to Turnover

Follow this link to read about this essential process!