August 1998
Happenings in and around Linnaeus Arboretum
Listed below are a few observations from a year ago in the Linnaeus Arboretum area, and out of the area when indicated. These events can be used to anticipate upcoming August happenings and will help to compare this year with last.
1 - Sulphur butterflies are quite numerous. Lawns drying and showing areas of tan-brown. In Elm Creek Park Reserve a female wood duck is seen with seven half-grown young. The harvest of sweet corn in Southern Minnesota for processing has started.
2 - Stiff goldenrod now blooming in prairie areas. Gray squirrels are collecting white oak acorns. House wrens continue to sing. First fresh sweet corn from a garden in Grygla area. Statewide, the harvest of oats is 58 percent complete, compared to 16 percent for the 5-year average.
3 - Many Baltimore orioles and ruby-throated hummingbirds visiting grape jelly and sugar water feeders. Gladiolus flowers are very showy in jardens. At Itasca State Park, the surface temperature of Lake Itasca is 74o F, common loons call, and wild rice blooms in shallow water areas.
4 - Monarch butterfly laying eggs on swamp milkweed. Still observing many eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies. Phlox, coneflowers and zinnias are a few of the showy garden flowers. When on a picnic or out in a small boat, the fly that gives you the painful bite about the ankles is a stable fly, not a house fly.
5 - Winter squash and pumpkins are well formed on their vines. In the Park Rapids area, wild raspberry picking is good, cliff swallows continue feeding young nestlings, and pearly everlasting and fireweed are showy roadside blooming plants.
6 - The gum plant blooms along roads and railways. Female American goldfinch observed collecting thistle down. At Walker, the surface temperature of Leech Lake is 76o F, purple martins sing and call overhead, red-eyed vireos call in the forest, and ruby-throated hummingbirds come to feeders and zinnia flowers.
7 - Muskmelons are turning ripe. Harvest of garden sweet corn and tomatoes is close to peak. At Bemidji, the surface temperature of Lake Bemidji is 78o F, choke cherry fruit is ripe, and showy blooming wildflowers include wild cucumber and evening primrose.
8 - Wild grape vines have some ripe fruit now. Rough blazing star beginning to bloom. Families of barn swallows line up on wires. State Fair apples and Parker pears are ripe. The surface temperature of Gull Lake, near Nisswa, is 74o F.
9 - First ripe Red Baron apples. Gardeners harvest carrots, green beans, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and more. At Lotus Lake in Chanhassen, the American lotus lily and both white and yellow water lilies bloom nicely. In Anoka County, tansy flowers nicely and boneset is at bloom peak
10 - Mallard ducks and Canada geese gathering in larger flocks. Late in season lightningbug observed. American goldfinch male feeds fledglings at thistle feeder in Bloomington.
11- Fresh rhubarb out of garden cooked-up for late batch of sauce. Forget-me--nots, harebell, yarrow and fireweed bloom nicely along North Shore of Lake Superior. At Gooseberry Falls State Park, wild raspberries, gooseberries and thimbleberries are ripe and perfect for picking and fresh eating.
12 - Wild clematis and smartweed blooming nicely. White snakeroot has begun blooming. Soldier beetles on gaimardia helianthus and other garden blossoms.
13 - Bur oak acorns falling in numbers. Yellowjackets have become very numerous; they are bothersome, especially when we are eating outdoors. Farmers in St. Peter area are harvesting truckloads of sweet corn for canning factory.
14 - First banded woollybear caterpillar. Rugosa roses bloom nicely in Linnaeus Arboretum at St. Peter. Thief River Falls area farmers busy combining wheat.
15 - Common nighthawk migration is beginning. Surface temperature of Lake Waconia is 80o F. Squirrels are gathering green walnuts, butternuts and hazelnuts in Hastings area.
16 - American goldfinches, house finches and more came to feeders during the rain this morning. Many pairs of soldier beetles on white sweet clover flowers. Cicadas continued to buzz for 25 minutes after sunset. Statewide, the spring wheat harvest is at 78 percent, oats at 91 percent and winter wheat at 97 percent.
17 - Monarch butterflies first aggregating. Wild cucumber bloom peak. Indian grass, a tall handsome prairie plant, is shedding pollen. First white-lined sphinx moth of season came to garden flowers. Eastern cottontail rabbits have new litters.
18 - Beekeepers are extracting honey. Both great ragweed and common ragweed at peak of pollen shedding. Lawns have begun to dry out again. Field corn, soybeans and alfalfa are all looking good on most Minnesota and Wisconsin farms.
19 - Beacon, State Fair, Redfree, Paula Red, Williams Pride and Wealthy are some of the apple Varieties which are now ripe and being picked. Cicadas buzzing on this hot, humid day. Surface temperature of Green Lake at Spicer is 75oF.
20 - Butternut trees-losing foliage quickly. Warbler migration has begun; black and whites, yellows, Tennessee warblers and many American redstarts moving through. Gardeners planting lettuce for a fall crop. Big patches of blooming Canada goldenrod are becoming very showy.
21 - Gray squirrels, eastern chipmunks and blue jays are gathering bur oak acorns. Eastern wood pewees, Baltimore orioles and eastern phoebes still singing. European mountain ash has dropping clusters of bright orange fruit. Monarch butterflies seen heading south, singly.
22 - Among the many flowers attracting ruby-throated hummingbirds is the wild spotted jewelweed of wet places. About 2,000 monarch butterflies gather in a green ash tree grove near Cologne.
23 - Lawns lush green again. The silver-white plumes of miscanthus grass now becoming showy. Statewide, 69 percent of sweet corn is harvested and the field corn crop continues to develop slightly over two weeks ahead of normal.
24 - Snowy tree crickets, black field crickets, cone-headed grasshoppers and katydids fill the night air with enchanting music. At Madeline Island, Wisconsin, ring-billed gulls are numerous, goldenrods and asters bloom, apples are ripe and ripening, both staghorn sumac and highbush cranberry shrubs have red fruit, and the surface temperature of Lake Superior is 70oF.
25 - Native basswood and eastern cottonwood trees have begun to show some golden-yellow leaves. At Bayfield, WI, mountain ash trees are loaded with orange fruit in big clusters, barn swallows are common, bittersweet nightshade has bright red berries, and cosmos and golden glow are showy in flower gardens.
26 - At 6:30 a.m., thousands of common grackles are coming out of marsh in Richfield. Carver County farmers have begun chopping field corn.
27 - Some butternut trees have lost most of their leaves. Ruby-throated hummingbirds feeding from hosta flowers. Near Clarissa, motorists along Hwy. 71 can see the brilliant bloom from a farm field of sunflowers, all facing east.
28 - Orb spider webs with water droplets very showy this morning. Monarch butterflies on the move, heading south. Southern Minnesota farmers cutting, raking and baling the fourth crop of alfalfa.
29 - Chestnut and cranberry crabapples, and both Alderman and Mount Royal plums are ripe. Gardeners harvesting watermelons and muskmelons. Pumpkins ripe and ripening. At Blue Earth, last monarch butterfly egg found.
30 - Jerusalem artichoke and Canada goldenrod at bloom peak. At Itasca State Park, common loons heard calling and yodeling at 6 a.m. and red squirrels now taking cones from white pines. The surface temperature of Lake Minnetonka is a warm 80oF.
31 - Lawns nice and green. First common milkweed pods open and shedding seeds. Maturing soybean plants, in many fields, are showing yellow leaves. New England aster begins blooming.