A Nature Log Recorded Near The Oregon Coast...

During the 1st week of October: The deer are now gray with winter coats. Squirrels are still up in the trees dropping fir cones down to the ground. The baby deer are still with their moms, honey bees and bumblebees are still buzzing and there ARE termites but no ants still flying. The crows are hanging out in larger groups. The Blue jays seem more active and the berries are ripe on the fuchsia. Very few if any trees in sight have lost all their leaves.

"Recording the time of year that certain natural events occur is interesting to see changes and similarities..."

During the 4th week of September: The pelicans are flying south as are the geese. The pelicans head down south to Mexico and perhaps beyond. We used to love to watch them down there from the beach. They fly low along the surf and hug the waves sometimes only a foot or two above the waves and glide without flapping for long periods of time. The geese this time of year can be heard overhead night or day at this point. The tomatoes are still ripening but the leafs are slowly melting down. Squirrels are up in the trees dropping fir cones down to the ground. The baby deer are still with their moms, honey bees and bumblebees are still buzzing and there are only a few termites still flying - little if any ants are flying.

During the second and third week of September: The termites are flying and so are the flying ants! The termites started flying first and are still flying about and the ants came next and are still flying. As far as we can tell there are less of both this year. This was also the year of the bumblebee, lot's of bumble bees every day. The baby deer in our area have lost their spots (and are grayish rather than brown) although in the areas near by they have not. The Japaneses maples trees are starting to change color. The snowy egret arrived or at least has been seen and the Great Blue Herons are still flying around and landing in trees and lakes. There was another puma sighting also. The mornings are now dewy and there has not yet been a frost or freeze. The red wing black birds are starting to make that amazing sound of nearly uncountable birds in the trees and the slugs are back in the garden. Deer are nipping the mint which is unusual and there are less deer to be seen - mostly the core group of younger bucks and moms and their babies. There are many white butterflies to be seen and enjoyed as the asters are blooming at the lake shores and attracting the white butterflies as are other flowers. The Huckleberries seem really large and blueberry season ended. Blueberries came on (earlier - a month ago?) a month late in odd waves this year in a stop and start pattern. This proved to be a difficult year for sulfur plants like kale, collard broccoli (aphids and maggots). Squash and cucumber got powdery mildew - particularly summer squash. Cool weather peas and cucumbers did great this year. The predominating sound is not bull frogs but crickets - are the bull frogs gone? We did hear one owl hunting something in the trees and the bats are still here...

During the forth week of June: We saw the first Monarch butterfly glide by. Black Millipedes with yellow stripes can be found and the mosquitoes are still out in force. The little fauns were finally shown off by mom.
We saw the fauns today. Wow. We had the treat of treats during morning coffee time.
THE STORY: Mom came out into full view with two babies in tow. We had not seen mom for a long time. Then the babies hid somewhere behind the shed area. Then mom crossed the lawn. All the while we were on the patio above in full sun sipping coffee. Then as if on cue, one by one and one at a time, a baby deer crossed the entire lawn for us to see. So amazing. At that point they nursed right below us and finally stopped.

Then mom looked at us.
We have learned not to stare or look to long. But she looked and looked. It was a commanding look. We looked back and met her gaze with a big smile and joy. Then satisfied she slowly moved back across the yard.

Before that exit a crow made it's grand entrance and landed near mom and started hunting for food. One babe could not help but to look at the crow closer and closer this happens every year. At one point there was not enough distance and the crow flew a few feet and the baby jumped and bucked and ran in a circle then immediately started eating.
From what I can tell the universal language is you either eat them or eat with them, as I said before...

This is a log of natural events like when flowers start blooming, when we start seeing insects like the honey bees for the first time during the year and other more unusual events. We hope to be able to compare from year to year when these natural events occur in order to better grow plants and understand the natural world.

2011:

During the third week of June: The large body moths started appearing in the windows by day and by night.

During the second week of June: A lot of honey bees this year, really nice to see after having so few the last few years. Mosquitoes are out all day long. Fewer deer particularly does in the yard and we have not seen any fauns yet but we did see one scratched up buck. The bull frogs are back!

During the first week of June: Green cherries (and cherry leaves) are falling or being chewed off the tree by squirrels in fairly large numbers. Last year they all came down pretty much in one day? Saw the first Garter Snake (black with a yellow stripe about a foot long) of the year. First hot day and we are seeing carpenter ants flying about. Found puma cat scat. The No-See-Ums are out now in the evenings.

During the last week of May: A Pine Siskin knocked on our window at night. The same thing (Who's Knocking On The Window At Night? ) happened last year. The Swainson's Thrush is back and we can hear it's beautiful song. Our first daisy bloomed. A Puma came through the yard. We saw our first large dragonfly. Lilac is blooming but we not sure when it started as we just discovered we have a Lilac tree. The mosquitoes made there first appearance.