August 1999

     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 - Many ripe Northland crabapples. American robin seen feeding red-osier dogwood berries to its fledgling. The native spotted Joe-Pye weed and boneset have begun blooming in wetland spots. Phlox and glads are very showy in gardens. In the Waterville area, Queen Anne's lace is blooming; it's showy and the plants are numerous.

2 - Blue jays and eastern chipmunks are plucking acorns from bur oaks. Gardeners are picking cucumbers and ripe tomatoes. They are also harvesting peas, green beans, beets, carrots and zucchini. Spinach, radish and leaf lettuce seeds may now be planted in gardens for a fall crop.

3 - Monarch butterflies emerging from chrysalids. Black bears in northern Minnesota are feasting on ripe raspberries and blueberries. At Walker, the surface temperature of Leech Lake is 76 degrees F, the second generation of banded purple butterflies is on the wing, common ragweed is starting to shed pollen, and fireweed and evening primrose are among the showy blooming roadside plants.

4 - Mourning doves on their third clutches of eggs. When on a picnic or out in a fishing boat, the fly that gives you the painful bite about the ankles is a stable fly not a house fly. A northern cardinal sings until 9:05 p.m., 29 minutes past sunset.

5 - In the Bemidji and Walker area, pin cherries and choke cherries are ripe, and 30 species of blooming plants, including pearly everlasting and tall sunflower, can be seen along roadsides. Purple martins numerous and active around their many apartment homes on the shore of Leech Lake; most of the young now fly. Juneberries and blueberries ripe in International Falls area.

6 - Nine species of migratory shorebirds - such as lesser yellowlegs, least and pectoral sandpipers - are moving through from the North. Some garden dahlias have begun blooming. The harvest of sweet corn for processing is underway in southern Minnesota. Thimbleberries are ripe along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Monarch butterflies,in Walker area, are aggregating; they are staging for migration.

7 - Field thistle blooming in natural areas. Barn swallows feeding fledglings. Eastern bluebirds feeding on katydids and grasshoppers. Wild blueberry picking is excellent in the Ely area. The surface water temperature of Rainy Lake is 70 degrees F, Leech Lake is 72 degrees F.

8 - Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen at more Twin Cities area feeders lately; these are early migrants coming from northern Minnesota. The fruit clusters on European mountain ash trees have become orange. American goldfinches have started eating ripe bull thistle seeds.

9 - Lawn areas showing tan-brown, gardens and crops dry so rain is welcome today. Sneezeweed blooming. Squirrels are already eating the green butternuts. Garden roses blooming nicely and very showy. Pairs of barn swallows feed young nestlings.

10 - Both common and great ragweeds are shedding pollen. First Franklin's gulls return to Lake Waconia for the fall season, Carver County farmers cutting third crop of alfalfa.

11 - Garden morning glories now blooming. On prairies, Indian grass and big bluestem are 6 feet tall and shedding pollen. The nests of the bald-faced hornet, the original paper maker, are growing layer-by-layer; they look like large gray footballs up in trees.

12 - First soldier beetles; they are seen on prairie and garden flowers. Snowy tree crickets begin calling for the evening starting at 7:10. Oriole, Melba and State Fair apples ripe in Hastings and La Crescent.

13 - Wild grapes ripening. Paula Red, Williams Pride and Red Free are ripe apples being picked at Belle Plaine. Field corn is starting to dent in Plato area. The surface temperature of Caribou Lake near Lutsen is 68 degrees F.

14 - Viceroy, eastern tiger swallowtail and monarch are among the butterfly species nectaring on garden flowers. The surface temperature of Lake Waconia is 74 degrees F. Pipevine swallowtail butterfly seen at Waseca.

15 - White snakeroot begins blooming. Common grackles and red-winged blackbirds now in large flocks. First ripe Red Baron apples. The common elderberry shrubs have ripe fruit which is an important source of summer food for gray catbirds, brown thrashers and dozens of other bird species. Purple martins left Stony Point, Leech Lake, headed for South America.

16 - Sandhill cranes seen in Faribault area, feeding in stubble fields along with Canada geese and American crows. Ripe wild fruit at Gooseberry Falls State Park includes: thimbleberry, raspberry, bunchberry, blueberry, Juneberry and gooseberry. Turtlehead, large-leaved aster and blue vervain are among wildflowers blooming in the Park.

17 - Garden roses blooming nicely and very showy. Late broods of American robins and northern cardinals are leaving their nests. Surface water temperature of Lake Superior near Beaver Bay is 56 degrees F. Brook lobelia, fireweed, harebell and yarrow are some of the wildflowers blooming along the North Shore.

18 - Ruby-throated hummingbirds forage on blooming hostas, red salvia and other garden flowers. American bittersweet fruit is light orange. In many parts of southern MN, truckloads of sweetcorn are being brought to processing Plants. Surface temperature of Green Lake at Spicer is 75 degrees F.

19 - Alderman plums ripe and wonderful for eating fresh off the tree. Some monarchs are still depositing eggs on milkweed leaves. Highbush cranberry shrubs have bright red fruit. American goldfinches forage on bull thistle seedheads.

20 - Most of the second broods of young barn swallows are flying and lining up in long lines on utility wires. Big migration of common nighthawks over Duluth; about 2,200 counted from one spot. Farmers in Grygla area, NW MN, starting to harvest wheat.

21 - Last house wren brood of the season fledges today. Beekeepers are extracting honey. Cultivated grapes are in their ripening stages. Wood ducks seen eating ripe wild grapes.

22 - Lawns lush green. Sulphur butterflies numerous in blooming alfalfa fields. Honey bees, bumble bees and ruby-throated hummingbirds feed on spotted touch-me-not flowers which are very showy along shorelines of lakes and other wet spots.

23 - Bur oak acorns falling in numbers; gray squirrels are eating and storing them. At the Linnaeus Arboretum in St.Peter, clusters of monarch butterflies gather on the southeast side of two river birch trees.

24 - First migrating common nighthawks. Around sunset, flocks of these dark birds with long pointed wings and white wing patches were gliding, diving and circling, feeding on insects in the air, and definitely heading south. Wild cucumber at bloom peak. Wild choke cherries at peak of ripeness in northwest Minnesota.

25 - Orb spider webs showy this foggy morning. Staghorn sumac shrubs have begun showing some yellow, red and orange colors of fall. The butterfly-bush (Buddleia, native of China) in our gardens continues to attract monarachs and many other butterflies, plus honey bees and wild bees, day-flying moths and more.

26 - The surface temperatures of Twin Cities area lakes in mid-70s and perfect for swimming. The best time to seed a lawn in Minnesota and Wisconsin is between August 15 and September 10. On these warm nights, the snowy tree crickets sound like sleigh bells.

27 - Gardeners busy harvesting carrots, beets, green beans, eggplants, cabbage, muskmelons, watermelons, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and acorn squash. Clouds of ragweed pollen continue to fall. Bur oak, white oak and red oak acorns are falling.

28 - State Fair, Beacon and Chestnut Crabs are apples being picked and sold. About half the leaves have turned yellow and fallen from butternut trees. The surface water temperature of Leech Lake is 74 degrees F; yellow perch, walleyes and muskies are biting.

29 - Monarch butterflies gather in numbers to roost on certain trees. Basswood foliage is showing some yellow fall color. Concord grapes ripe in St. Peter.

30 - First chopping of field corn for silage. Asters, goldenrods and tall sunflowers bloom nicely and are showy roadside plants in the Hackensack area. At Grand Marais, ring-billed gulls seen up in tree tops eating the red-orange mountain ash fruit.

31 - Cattail foliage is about 20 percent tan-brown as summer winds down. Jerusalem artichoke and Canada goldenrod nearing bloom peak and very showy. Some red fall color is noticed on Virginia creeper leaves.