October 1999

     Happenings in and around Linnaeus Arboretum

Listed below are a few observations from a year ago made in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, including the Linnaeus Arboretum/Nicollet County area (and out of the area where indicated). Many of these observations have also been recorded in the Minnesota Weatherguide/Environment Calendar, published in conjunction with the Freshwater Foundation and WCCO Radio/Television, to which Gilbert has contributed since 1977. These events can be used to anticipate upcoming seasonal happenings and will help to compare this year with last.
 
 

1 - Beautiful reds, burnt-oranges and golden-yellows on big native sugar maples out in open spots. Major needle and cone drop from white pines. Early snowfall in St. Peter resulted in first snow sculptures of the season, plus snow on red sumac and golden-yellow eastern redbud leaves. The golden-brown colored needles of the red pines in Cloquet area are falling in big numbers.

2 - First ice on birdbaths. Frost killed morning glory and pumpkin vines. New England asters at bloom peak. Over 50 great egrets seen in small area of Minnesota River Valley in Bloomington. Turkey vultures soaring over Afton State Park.

3 - First slate-colored juncos arrive. Migrating American robins moving through, and feeding on purplish-blue berries of the eastern red cedar and crabapple fruit. Statewide, 32 percent of the soybean crop and 9 percent of the field corn has been harvested.

4 - Several thousand American coots on Lake Waconia. Green ashes at fall color peak, with golden-yellow foliage. At La Crescent, about 20 apple varieties are now being picked and sold, including: Golden Supreme, Honeycrisp, Jonathan and Northwestern Greening.

5 - Some green ash trees quite bare. Huge flocks of common grackles, in long black "rivers" of life, travel from roosts to feeding areas in the morning,and back before sunset. American goldfinches feed on seeds from purple coneflowers.

6 - Fall colors coming on fast with sugar maples especially colorful. Hayfever season is ending as only about 1 percent of the common ragweed continues shedding pollen. Eastern bluebirds still seen in Grygla area.

7 - Gorgeous red foliage on sumacs, Amur maple shrubs and Virginia creeper vines. The golden-yellow leaves on eastern cottonwoods, paper birches and quaking aspen trees are superb,

8 - Many garden roses still flowering. Blooming garden chrysanthemums are fantastic. If you want to walk in crunchy fallen leaves and smell the aroma, and see great colors this is the time to be in a deciduous forest.

9 - Overall fall color peak for the Twin Cities and into Hutchinson and St. Peter areas. Leaf watching is great! Pine siskins seen at thistle feeder in Bloomington. Painted turtles out sunning on logs in ponds. The surface temperature, of Leech Lake is 50 degrees F, so the lake is turning over.

10 - Ripe apples being picked include: Keepsake, Connell Red, Haralson, Regent and Fireside. Evening grosbeaks and pine siskins come to a feeding station on shore of Leech Lake. Statewide, about 53 percent of soybeans have been harvested as of today.

11 - Huge leaf drop from Amur maples. In Walker, Park Rapids and Staples area, both largetooth and quaking aspens have bright golden-yellow leaves, and red oaks show dark reds and browns. At Leech Lake, walleyes and yellow perch are biting. Across northern Minnesota, tamarack trees are smoky-gold.

12 - Corn, soybean and alfalfa harvest continues in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Last of the late ruby-throated hummingbirds spotted at Kiester. Migrating flock of about 40 American robins in Grygla.

13 - Many deciduous forest areas look quite bare now. Wild grape vines have sunny-yellow leaves. Shaggymane mushrooms
are up. Short-tailed weasels are turning from brown to white.

14 - Red oaks showing magnificent dark reds and rich browns. White-tailed deer bucks are seen and heard head butting so they have begun setting up breeding territories. About 30 bald eagles seen in Lake City area.

15 - Still beautiful golden-yellows and burnt-oranges on sugar maples. Last monarch butterfly observed heading south. Common cattails are shedding seeds on carriers.

16 - Thousands of Franklin's gulls spend the night on Lake Waconia and will continue to do so until well into November. Garden roses at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum were put underground for winter protection even though many are still blooming. Since all garden roses are injured when the temperature drops much below 20 degrees F, the best and safest method for protecting them is complete soil cover.

17 - Lake Waconia steaming on this frosty morning; surface water temperature is 54 degrees F. Winged euonymus shrubs have rose-red foliage. Nearly all black bears in northern Minnesota are now in hibernation.

18 - Yellow-rumped warblers and common flickers migrating through, Juncos like millet seeds at ground feeders. Cosmos, marigolds, petunias and many more annuals blooming nicely.

19 - Picked last garden tomatoes. Brussels sprouts, broccoli cabbage, cauliflower and leaf lettuce continue to grow in the cool weather.

20 - The first hard freeze of season today killed tomatoes and eggplants, plus zinnias and dahlias. Ginkgo trees have bright
yellow leaves which are falling. Nearly all 13-lined ground squirrels are now in hibernation in underground burrows.

21 - Fall color peak for native tamaracks; they have smoky-gold needles. Both fox and white-throated sparrows seen at feeding stations.

22 - The air if full of cattail seeds on their carriers. Eastern chipmunks, gray squirrels, common grackles and red-winged blackbirds all visiting feeding stations. Red squirrels feed on Amur maple seeds, high up in the branches.

23 - Nice sunny-yellow leaves on silver maples. A red squirrel is seen in a hawthorn tree, eating the fruit. A few sulphur and alfalfa butterflies on the wing this afternoon.

24 - Golden-yellow foliage on Lombardy poplars and Norway maples. About 75 varieties of chrysanthemums continue blooming at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. They can take the early frosts and temperatures down to 28 degrees F for several hours and keep blooming.

25 - Flocks of American robins and cedar waxwings feed on crabapples. Height of leaf raking; a good share of the deciduous leaves are down.

26 - Boston ivy vines still showing splendid reds. At sunset, thousands of Franklin's gulls head for the center of Lake Waconia to roost on surface of water. Opossum comes to a Bloomington feeding station at night.

27 - Leopard frogs are heading into Lake Waconia for hibernation. Sod is still being put down for new lawns. Controlled burn
on Uhler Prairie in Linneaus Arboretum at St. Peter.

28 - Weeping willows showing much golden-yellow foliage. Common purple lilacs have yellow-green leaves, and bridalwreath spirea is at peak of fall color with red and golden-yellow leaves.

29 - Asparagus plants are golden-yellow. American goldfinches are in their somber winter dress. Rubs and scrapes of white-tailed deer can now be found as the rutting (mating) season has begun. In Faribault area, American tree sparrows have arrived, and grackles and red-wings are seen in great numbers in corn stubble fields.

30 - Migrating tundra swan flock over Lake Waconia. Earthworms nightcrawlers out after rain. American buttersweet vines have showy bright-orange fruit.

31 - Garden annuals still blooming include: alyssum, petunias, marigolds, snapdragons and geraniums. For bloom next spring, tulip bulbs can still be planted. About 600 tundra swans at Rieck's Lake near Alma, Wisconsin. Leech Lake water temperature has dropped to 39 degrees F.