SEPTEMBER 2009 WEATHER & PHENOLOGY IN REVIEW

From the North Shore of Little Rock Lake

Jim Hovda Rice, MN.  56367-0265 jhovda.rice@jetup.net

 

          Our September weather was unusual to say the least.  Maybe I should retreat to August to put things in perspective noting that we did not have a summer.   Kind of an early mild fall in August.   The first part of September started out with the same weather pattern, lows in the 40's and 50's and highs in the 70's.   Then came summer.   The whole middle of the month (11th - 20th) 80's and one day almost 90 degrees.  Then back to fall for the rest of the month.  Summer, tho briefly, came in September.      

          This unusual weather also affected fishing in Canada.  Both trips (the reason this article is late and rather lacking information) the fishing was really slow.   The fish were confused too.   Usually they have schooled up but not this year.   The resort owners were unhappy as their guests were not catching fish like other years.  When Jan and I left Vermilion Bay, Ontario on the 19th the daisies were budding and in bloom.   No frost had occurred and the surface water temp was 70.1 degrees.   There was even one hummingbird at the resort feeder.   What will Oct weather bring?   Fall and winter happen every year.  We should not be surprised at any weather we get.

 

WEATHER LAST SEPTEMBER:       Cooler and lots more rain.  No snow.   The average low/highs was 47.45 degrees compared to 51.65 degrees and 70.92 degrees to the 75.07 degrees this year.  The low occurred on the 31st with a 36.5 degree reading and a high of 85.4 degrees occurred on the 2nd.    We had a lot of rain last year.  3.65" to be exact.   We ended up with 24.5" of precip for the year compared with 21.33 this year.

 

WEATHER:         Different...  This was a really dry month.   Only .77" of rain fell the entire month.  Measurable rain on only four days with the most rain on the 26th when .3" fell.   I had to water the lawn and garden a couple of times.  (We’ve had rain every day so far in Oct and it’s the 6th and I’ve recorded 3.48" and it is raining right now.)    I’ve referred to the temps earlier.   Our low reading occurred on the 30th with a 34.5 degree reading and the high was a warm and humid 84.9 degrees on the 16th.   A mundane weather month except for the ten days of summer that occurred mid-month.  NO SNOW...

 

WEATHER RECORDS:       Our local low occurred on the 28th when the mercury dipped to a chilly 18 degrees in 1942 while the out state reading was a chilly 10 degrees in 1930.   On the warm side of things, our area high was no less than 106 degrees on the 10th in 1931 while our friends in Beardsley perspired in 111 degree heat on the 30th, 1930.   September is a month of change.  The most rain in a September happened 1926 when we received 10.72" for the month.    Since September started the possible snow season, I am forced to report that we received .2" of snow on the 21st in 1995 and  .3" fell in none other than International falls on September 14th, 1964.        

 

PHENOLOGY:       Unusual things first.   Where have the Robbins been?   We have several Mountain Ash trees full of bright red berries and no birds to eat them.  Maybe the Cedar Waxwings will eat some later.   Yellow Jacket bees.   A couple of nests under our eves never grew all summer.  In fact, one hive/nest just became dormant.    Tho we hate these insects near our pop cans and sugar while eating outside, these insects do prey on other things that bother us.  I’ve mentioned it before our brown bats are in short supply even tho one finally found a home in our bat house.   Art Lind struggled with one in his house in Rice on the 5th.

          The orioles with their beautiful songs left on the 10th.   I kept the liquid feed out for the “hummers” and I think they left near the end of the month.  We inherited a pigeon.   To ensure that this was the right name for the bird, Jan found that the proper name is a Rock Dove.   He (?) was here for a couple of weeks and has disappeared for the time being.  It really liked the cracked corn.   My neighbor, Jim Wainright reports that he has observed a Barred Owl making short work of the few chipmunks and other rodents.  One lone Whip-poor-will was making its self heard on the evening of the 12th.   Bird activity has slowed. 

          The fall flowers looked great.   Asters, black-eyed Susan, Sunflowers and the most popular flower for all the flying things were the Cone Flowers.  

          While in Canada fishing we were visited by the Grey Jay, common in Canada.  Lot’s of Bald Eagles sitting on the tops of trees looking for fish or the occasional perch that did not survive the hook and ended up floating on the lake.   In a couple of minutes the eagle was there for a meal.    From getting a meal to being a meal only took a few minutes!!!   The loons were common and their calls were enjoyable to listen to.   Jan was able to photograph four swimming together.

Fall colors had not arrived when I left Ontario on October 3rd.

 

NATURE NOTES:       Time to stock up with suet and give the feeders a good cleaning.  Check to see if your heater for the bird bath is in working order.