Spring Arrives in November

Following a long, scorching summer and a brief period of autumn-like weather, spring has returned to central Missouri.  A steady, southern flow of humid air has pushed the afternoon high into the lower 70sF, ahead of a storm front that will arrive later this evening.

Rain is expected before midnight and will continue through much of tomorrow; indeed, more than an inch of precipitation is expected.  Since we have not yet experienced a freeze in this area, greenery still dominates the landscape though the first batch of fallen leaves have the leaf blowers screaming.

The only other evidence that this November spring is an illusion is provided by the birds.  There are no summer residents or spring migrants to be found; only permanent and winter residents grace the yard, some of which likely resent the balmy conditions.  As for us humans, an afternoon in the low 70s is not hard to take and the coming rains are desperately needed. 

Desert Rain to Mountain Snow

This morning, a potent low off Southern California is directing an "atmospheric river" of tropical moisture across the Desert Southwest, increasing the risk of flash flooding in cities and canyons.  In concert, a cold front is arriving from the northwest, pulling heavy rain northeastward into Southwest Colorado and, later today, igniting thunderstorms across New Mexico and West Texas.

As the flow of moisture curls back to the northwest, augmented by inflow from the Gulf of Mexico, snow is expected to fall across the Colorado mountains, a welcome development following last year's limited snowpack.  Hopefully, this storm system is a harbinger of a snowy winter to come.

Indeed, the effects of our warming climate are not yet clear but alternating periods of drought and heavy precipitation seem to be developing, the products of a fickle yet energized jet stream and steadily warming seas.  Adjusting to such fluctuations will challenge all forms of life across the globe (humans included). 

Disband the Parties

Perhaps more than during any other time in American history, the Two-Party system has failed this country.  Too concerned about offending the President or their colleagues, politicians have remained faithful to their Party, ignoring the risks and illegalities that may arise.

Furthermore, big money flows through the Parties, encouraging compliance and mutual support; individual principles are often cast aside in order to meet the demands of the powerbrokers and wealthy donors.  Fear and job security govern votes in the House and Senate.

Would it not be best to have independent candidates running for any give office with reasonable limits placed on financial donations?  Such a system would better reflect the will of the American people and prevent the rise of an unhinged President who freely appoints incompetent cabinet members and initiates war or vanity projects without the consent of Congress. 

An Adventure in the Ozarks

Searching for a new hiking location, my wife came across Clifty Creek Natural Area, part of Clifty Creek Conservation Area, SSW of Vienna, Missouri, off Route 28.  As we approached that refuge, her GPS suggested an alternate route to the trailhead.  Since that road was paved, we decided to take the shortcut but the pavement soon disappeared.  Road signs were also absent (or destroyed by shotgun pellets) and we made turns in response to our GPS location; unfortunately, that signal was lost for periods of time and the movie Deliverance soon crossed my mind.

An hour or so after leaving Route 28, we finally located the unmarked parking lot and set off on a rocky trail that zig-zagged into a gorge where Clifty Creek is lined with bluffs of dolomite (see photo).  Though we initially planned to hike to a Natural Arch, its distance, our age and the uneven trail surface combined to discourage that goal.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed a pleasant and scenic drive through the Ozarks and received more than enough exercise during our foreshortened hike.  Warm, sunny weather and muted autumn colors further rewarded our decision.

Speaking to Agents

Call to schedule car service, to arrange home repair or to make an appointment and you will likely be speaking with an AI agent.  Pleasant, efficient and tireless, these agents can be a welcome change at times.

Nevertheless, the 130,000-year era of human communication has taken a major hit and, no doubt, it will only fade more rapidly in the future.  Even now, AI agents are providing front line medical advice and referrals in underserved areas.  More disturbing are the friendships and relationships that are developing between agents and lonely humans.

Of course, we are promised that "guardrails" will be in place to protect our privacy and security but we know that similar reassurances have proved ineffective in this modern digital age.  Then again, the agents are especially nice. 

Let it Flow!

Though it was cloudy and cool on the Missouri River floodplain this morning, Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area was beautiful to behold.  The reason?  Water was once again flowing through its channels and pools, nourishing the parched landscape.

In response, a small flock of mallards joined the coot and pied-billed grebes that have recently endured the shrinking shallows.  Better yet, flocks of blue-winged teal raced overhead, reminding one of the good old days when the refuge teemed with waterfowl.  Other sightings this morning, among 24 avian species, included an adult bald eagle, a female northern harrier, two red-tailed hawks and an increasing assortment of grassland sparrows.

But the flowing water was the highlight of my visit.  How long it will persist is unknown to this reporter but one hopes that the spigots were opened for ecologic reasons, not just to improve the duck hunting experience. 

Harris's Sparrow

Harris's sparrow is the largest sparrow in North America (if one excludes towhees) but has a very restricted range.  After breeding in the stunted boreal forest of north-central Canada, they migrate to the Central and Southern Plains of the U.S. for the winter.  The width of that winter range extends from the Front Range urban corridor of Colorado to central Missouri, the two locations in which I have now observed them.

During the winter months, they are best found in brushy areas or open woodlands; on the Great Plains, such habitat is best found along and near stream corridors.  While they feast on insects during the Arctic summer, they switch to a diet of berries and seeds during the colder months.

The plumage of Harris's sparrows varies with both maturity and the seasons but their large size, long tail, black cap and bright white breast are consistent field marks.  Though fairly common across the heart of the Plains, they are rarely observed near the margins of their winter range.  I was thus very fortunate to have encountered one yesterday at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (my first in Missouri). 

Winter Residents Return

Yesterday, while walking around Perry Phillips Lake, I encountered a small flock of white-crowned sparrows, the first I have observed in Columbia since mid spring.  Favoring open country, these winter residents are best found in shrubs and thickets along wood margins, pastures, streams or lakeshores.

Back home, I observed the season's first dark-eyed juncos in our backyard.  Common in a wide variety of habitats during the colder months, they will grace our neighborhood through early April when they gather in large flocks before heading north.  A more interesting sighting was of three yellow-bellied sapsuckers that briefly landed in a large maple tree before moving off together; not a species that migrates in flocks, their grouping was certainly a unique and unexpected observation.

Down at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning, most of the birds were permanent residents though two migrants (pied-billed grebes and American coot) were also present.  With regard to winter residents, white-crowned sparrows were abundant and I encountered a single ruby-crowned kinglet and a lone Harris's sparrow.  Swamp sparrows, American tree sparrows, white-throated sparrows and fox sparrows should turn up soon; rough-legged hawks, short-eared owls and merlins may also winter on the Missouri River floodplain. 

Life & Choice

From our earliest days of independence, our life is governed by the choices that we make.  These may relate to relationships, friendships, career plans, beliefs and a wide variety of personal commitments. 

Some of the choices are dramatic, life-altering events while many are subtle and barely remembered.  Some may be impulsive while others are made after an agonizing period of rumination.  Nevertheless, over time, they all define our life and determine both our level of satisfaction and our happiness.

It is late in life that our choices are most closely reviewed.  They can now be placed in the context of our overall life story and more clearly judged now that the consequences are known.  Regrets may surface but, by then, we have learned that they are an unavoidable component of the human condition.  It is our willingness to accept responsibility for our choices, however recent or long ago, that lets us bow out with grace.

Outdoor Reading Season

My favorite time of year has returned: Outdoor Reading Season.  The oppressive heat and humidity of summer have moved south, replaced by relatively cool air and less intense sunshine.  Great conditions for reading (and/or napping).

Those who can only read in silent rooms will find outdoor reading nearly impossible.  The nearby and distant whine of mowers and leaf blowers is, unfortunately, ever present.  Then there are the chatter of squirrels, the raucous calls of jays and crows and the softer but persistent yanks of nuthatches.

But the weather is perfect for absorbing a chapter or two or, better yet, a truly-short short story.  One has his or her limits and those are mine. 

From Diversity to Survival

Throughout the warmer months of the year, April through September in the Northern Hemisphere, we birders take note of the fabulous diversity of avian residents and migrants that reside in or visit our neighborhoods and nature preserves.  Some species are permanent residents, others are summer residents and many are transient visitors, simply migrating through our area.

For those of us in the Temperate Zone, the summer residents and transient visitors have left for more southern climes by mid October and the first winter residents are beginning to arrive.  Having raised their young up north, they, like our permanent residents, tend to gather in mixed flocks, assisting one another in the search for food during these colder, shorter days of the year.  Such feeding groups often appear for brief periods of time before moving on to their next source of nutrition.

Augmenting their chance of survival, most of our winter residents sport rather drab plumage, blending in with the seasonal landscape.  Then again, accipiters, kestrels and red-shouldered hawks will get their fair share.  

Another Sluggish Migration

On this beautiful, cool, sunny morning in central Missouri, a friend and I hoped to see a fair variety of waterfowl at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area.  Alas, our sightings were limited to four Canada Geese, a half-dozen mallards and ten pied-billed grebes.

Now in limited access mode due to duck hunting and waterfowl refuge restrictions at the refuge, neither seemed warranted in light of our count.  Not long ago, when Eagle Bluffs was a vast wetland, thousands of geese, ducks, coot and grebes would grace the floodplain by mid October.  Today, due in part to reduced open water at the refuge but also to warmer conditions up north, the autumn waterfowl migration is not peaking until much later in the season.

Indeed, this sluggish fall migration, observed in recent years, is surely a reflection of our warming climate.  Not responsive to the solar cycle, waterfowl head south when lakes and wetlands freeze over, blocking their food supply.  Until then, we'll enjoy watching the raptors. 

Watching Autumn Arrive

Hiking around Perry Phillips Lake on this sunny, cool morning, I observed a thick band of dark clouds across the northwestern horizon.  Having watched the Weather Channel earlier in the day, I knew that it was the leading edge of a cold front that will push across the Midwest over the next 24 hours.  Freeze warnings are in place for the Upper Midwest tonight while, here in Missouri, a frost warning is in effect.

Out on the lake, an osprey and a pied-billed grebe hunted for their breakfast while flocks of noisy Canada geese passed overhead, seemingly declaring the onset of autumn.  Other than a lone, chatty northern mockingbird, songbirds were relatively inactive and quiet, perhaps in response to the atmospheric change.

By the time I completed the 1.4 mile loop, the cloud bank had reached Columbia, temporarily blocking out the bright October sunshine.  At least for now, autumn has displaced our long, hot, miserable summer.  

Gestalt Traveling

Now heading back to Columbia, we very much enjoyed our journey across "the top" of Lake Superior and managed to hit all the highlights that my wife had researched and organized prior to the trip.  But, in the end, I engage in gestalt traveling, most interested in the topography, hydrology, geology, natural history and ecology of the landscapes through which I wander.

Though each planned stop was both fascinating and educational, it is their place in the overall regional environment that garnered my attention.  Whether I encountered expected wildlife species or not,  I knew they were present and understood their vital role in the varied ecosystems of Western Ontario.

Back in June of 2023, I made the same general points in Gestalt Birding.  We naturalists cannot divorce any element of nature from its dependence on and interaction with all other components of the environment.  

Lake Superior Provincial Park

Covering 600 square miles, the beautiful yet rugged terrain of Lake Superior Provincial Park begins just south of Wawa.  Route 17 initially runs through the heart of the refuge before paralleling the lakeshore in its southern portion.

Forested hills, whitewater streams, secluded lakes and wetlands (photo) characterize most of this fabulous refuge while scenic coves line Lake Superior.  An inviting Visitor Center is off Route 17 on Agawa Bay, near the south end of the Park.

Following a week of sunshine and relatively warm weather, we endured chilly, wet, windy conditions during our visit to the Park today.  Hoping that the inclement weather might increase our opportunity to see moose, bear and wolves, we drove along a number of backroads and scouted out a wide variety of lakes and wetlands.  Alas, no sightings to report. 

Down Superior's East Coast

About ten miles south of Marathon, Ontario, Route 17 cuts away from the Lake, crossing relatively open terrain with less topographic relief.  Then, just south of White River, it climbs onto a broad ridge of forested hills, studded with scenic lakes.

Nearing the town of Wawa, the highway descends from that ridge.  There we headed east on Route 101 and drove almost 40 miles to The Potholes, a small but fascinating Provincial Park that highlights the power of the Pleistocene glaciers and the force of their meltwater torrents along the Kinniwabi River (see photo).

Back in Wawa, we visited High Falls on the Magpie River, Silver Falls, Sandy Beach and, south of town, Old Woman's Bay; photos of these destinations will be rotated with other Ontario scenes in the right hand column of this blog over the coming weeks.  Today, we head down to Lake Superior Provincial Park, among the largest refuges in the network.  Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadians!  

Pukaskwa National Park

Located south of Marathon, Ontario, Pukaskwa National Park covers 725 square miles; the great majority of this area is protected wilderness, accessible only by backcountry trails.  For those of us no longer able to engage in such activity, the Park's northwest corner still has plenty to offer.

Covering an area along the Lake Superior shoreline and just south of the Pic River, this more accessible portion offers a pleasing mix of trails, boardwalks and beach excursions that offer spectacular views of rocky headlands and offshore islands (photo).  Massive accumulations of driftwood cover some beach sections.

Away from the shore, a fine trail loop circles Lac a mi Chemin, where moose may be observed early or late in the day; among other wildlife species in the Park are black bear, wolves, lynx, river otters and bald eagles.  Finally, a well-maintained campground invites an overnight stay for those equipped to do so.  

Aguasabon Provincial Park

At the west end of Terrace Bay, Ontario, is Aguasabon Provincial Park, renowned for its scenic gorge and waterfall.  Visitors can take a winding boardwalk down to a deck that overlooks both of these features (photo).

The Park also offers a woodland trail to its Beach or you can drive down to the beach lot from outside the Provincial Park grounds.  The dark-sand beach stretches along a scenic cove, guarded by jagged rock formations at each end and offering views of barren offshore islands.

The beach, like many along the North Coast of Lake Superior, appeared to be popular for agate hunting.  This is not surprising in light of the ancient volcanic strata that characterize this region.