The leaves are close to their peak color now. However before the bit of warm weather, we had several rainy and windy days. Unfortunately, that brought down a lot of leaves, so the views aren't quite as spectacular as they might have been. But they are pretty all the same.
Here's what I saw this week
during a Second Look.
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| Cucumber beetle. Unlike its ladybug look alike, this beetle can do a lot of damage to beneficial plants. |
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| Ward saw these mating wheel bugs. He didn't stick around long enough to see if the female ate the male as she often does after mating. |
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| I found two kinds of honeysuckle berries. |
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| Nettle |
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| This maple tree has lost enough leaves that we can see the squirrel's nest in the top. |
We also had rain/wind which brought down many of our leaves prematurely. Still pretty here, though. I enjoyed your "buggy" pictures. My daughter and I had fun watching bugs while we were up north over the weekend. I don't know what most of them were--there was a small bug that looked like a green leaf, but I don't think it could fly--it was neat looking. We didn't care for the biting gnats, though! I think all biting bugs should be gone by the end of October! :)
ReplyDeleteI spent a summer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan doing field work and remember the mosquitoes and other annoying bugs. That summer there were a couple of frosts in August that helped get the bugs under control. I hope that all of your annoying bugs really are gone by the end of October.
DeleteWe are supposed to see snow Friday. That oughtta fix 'em! Of course, I think I'll take gnats over snow ....
DeleteSo interesting you were in the UP! Where were you stationed? Biting fly season can be awful!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most people here camp in July, but between the heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and biting flies, we find we prefer August--it seems to be better then.
We lived in a cabin in a "resort" in Land of Lakes, WI, but our work was in the UP. I was a field assistant for the US Geological Survey. It was interesting that the men who were the head of the project, and had been there at least 10 summers in a row, were immune to the mosquito bites--meaning the didn't swell or itch with the bites. I on the other hand wore mosquito netting and had 100 bites or so on me at any one time.
DeleteI have never seen or heard of a wheel bug before, interesting bug. I can't believe you still have flowers and bees. Ours are gone already. ;-(
ReplyDeleteLast year was the first time I've seen one. They're in the same family as stink bugs.
DeleteIt is hard to believe it will be down to freezing this weekend; isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWe're lucky that we've made it this far without a frost. Oh, well. It had to happen sometime.
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