Notes from a Nature Watcher
By John Roberts Sentinel Guest Writer

Many of the small sour- woods and sumacs are already red due to the effects of the Easter freeze and drought.

I am still seeing the effects of the Easter Freeze of '07 and the problems which it and the prolonged, severe drought have generated. The trees are losing leaves and displaying their fall colors a bit earlier than normal. Many of the small sourwoods and sumacs are already red, the tulip poplars, black walnut and wild black cherry are quickly losing many of their yellowing leaves and the dogwoods are looking like they are worn out from the many stresses of this season. The mountain sides are dotted with drought-stressed trees, particularly on areas having the steepest slopes.

One good thing I have noticed this pre-fall is that I am finally seeing a significant number of butterflies. Their numbers had been drastically reduced by the big freeze which killed much of the vegetation needed by the caterpillars. The following extreme drought caused a further setback and for most of the summer butterfly sightings were much rarer than normal. Insects, fortunately including butterflies, are pretty resilient and thankfully, they are staging a comeback. I have been watching them more carefully this year due to their situation and they have taught me a lot about their habits. We hear each day about illegal immigration but the butterflies talk to us about legal migration. Although butterflies often appear to be aimlessly flitting about, several species are just passing through on their way south to milder climes. Monarch butterflies are noted as champions of long distance migration but are not the only south bounders.

Migrating butterflies enter an area on a southbound track, get pleasantly distracted and visit local Joe-pye-weed, milkweeds, tall ironweed and other nice treats and then continue on their original course. They start earlier than their much faster feathered friends but are persistent in their quest for warm weather.

The migrating birds will soon be passing through. It is a treat to spot a resting pair of teal ducks on our campground lake or be in the right place and time to see a flight of geese too high for their honks to reach us. Each fall, the sand hill cranes, with their unmistakable sounds, flew over where we used to live in Griffin. Some did mistake them however, as the next day the local paper would feature a story about the geese sightings.

I located a fascinating book this year, The Mystery of Migration, edited by Dr. Robin Baker, published by The Viking Press in 1981. It gives very clear and interesting coverage of migration of many different organisms, including insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, and even plants. As many of these pass us on their way south, an annual prelude to winter, it will make some of us sad. I look forward to this interesting parade of nature.

John Roberts is a Georgia Master Naturalist who is Camp Host at Trackrock Campground near Blairsville, Georgia. He is also a retired USDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist having spent over 40 years as a scientist in wheat breeding and pathology.