Early October and even though it still feels like summer at the Indiana Dunes with temperatures in the mid 90’s, nature knows that Autumn is here. Changes in the landscape, flora and fauna are underway.
Asters are about the only wildflowers still blooming. The few remaining pollinators like these wasps and the occasional bumblebee are mostly clustered around them. The Asters attract the few remaining Monarch Butterflys as well. Most of them have migrated south at this point in the year.The general lack of insects must be making it hard on the remaining Dragonflys. Not the best hunting right now, as this Ruby Meadowhawk is discovering on this fine day.While the Orb Weavers seem to have died off, Grass Spiders seem to still be plentiful.October is a good month for many Fungi. Although it is impossible to tell without examining the spores under a microscope, this may be one of the deadly species known as Destroying Angel. The color, size and shape are consistent with this species, the habitat is right, and they are common this time of year. But there are edible species which are visually identical, so you can not be sure.This is the underside of a Larch Belote, another common fungi this time of year.This is one of my favorite subjects this time of year. Milkweed pods all over the park are bursting and releasing their seeds.Milkweed pods are the photographic gift that keeps on giving. The pods are quite durable and some never fully release their seeds. So they will be present, in ever changing form, all the way through winter and into early spring.
