Astronomy

On Wednesday the 16th look in the eastern sky after dark for the planet Saturn. It will be near the Moon.

Birds

Look for turkey vultures soaring overhead. You can tell them apart from eagles and hawks because turkey vultures wobble from side to side as they glide, the feathers at the ends of their wings look ragged, and their wings are dark at the leading edge and lighter at the trailing edge.

American goldfinches are one of the last birds to nest in our area. They use the fluff of field thistles in their nests, and also like to eat thistle seeds. Red-winged blackbirds and grackles are among those birds that are done nesting. They are forming flocks in anticipation of migration.

Insects

If you’re lucky you’ll see a Pale Beauty Moth. They’re fairly common, and their host trees include alder, birch, elm, oak, and willow.

Butterflies on the wing in mid-July include the Common Wood Nymph, and Milbert’s Tortoiseshell. Look for soldier beetles climbing on leadplant flowers on the prairie. They eat nectar and pollen and also smaller insects, and got their name because the coloring of one species resembles the red coats that British soldiers wore in the 18th century.

Along the river look for great clouds of mayflies flying upstream to mate and lay eggs. They only live for about a day as adults, and don’t even have any mouths because they don’t live long enough to need to eat anything.

Many dragonfiles are active at Afton. Dragonflies are generally described as either “fliers” or “perchers”. Fliers spend most of their time on the wing and can be difficult to observe and photograph. Perchers find places to perch then make brief hunting flights to catch smaller insects. Fliers sometimes rest on a perch or on the ground, and when they do they hold their bodies vertically. Perchers are more likely to hold their bodies horizontally.

Meadowhawks and Clubtails are perchers. The White-Faced Meadowhawk takes its name from its white face. The Variegated Meadowhawk takes its name from the varied colors on its abdomen. Clubtail larva require clean, fast-flowing rivers with lots of oxygen, and there are lots of clubtails on the St. Croix River, particularly north of Afton. The Snaketails are in the Clubtail family.

Mammals

An animal you might spot near or in the water is the muskrat. Muskrats are related to beavers but are smaller and have long skinny tails that help them steer when they’re in the water. Muskrats are mainly herbivorous, eating cattails and rushes, among other things.

Plants

Look for Butterflyweed, Yellow Coneflowers, Blue Giant Hyssop, Bee Balm (also called wild bergamot and monarda), Leadplant, and Rough Blazing Stars blooming on the prairie.

Berries, Trees, and Fungi

You may still find ripe Wild Black Raspberries – a tasty treat for hikers! Look for the big showy blossoms of Northern Catalpa trees. And you may see Magpie Inkcap Mushrooms under pine trees – but don’t eat them, since they’re poisonous!

Weather observations

Here are some weather observations from past years.

Friday, July 11	2024: sunny and 80s; 2021: low 80s, pleasant
Saturday, July 12	2023: 60s to start the day with clouds, then clearing with a high in the 80s; 2022: thunderstorm in evening. High in 80s, cooling into 60s overnight; 2018: Humid and over 90°, with heavy rain in the evening
Sunday, July 13	2024: thunderstorm in the morning, and another in early afternoon; 2023: thunderstorm in late evening; 2021: steamy and in the 80s; 2013: record rainfall of 2.79 inches
Monday, July 14	2024: steamy day in the 90s; 2010: 75° in the morning and steamy, but with a breeze
Tuesday, July 15	2023: poor air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires; 2019: hot and humid, with a thunderstorm bringing 1 ½ inches of rain in the evening.
Wednesday, July 16	2023: gusty winds in the afternoon; 2022: thick air, high in 80s; 2019: 1/4 inch of rain
Thursday, July 17	2024: breezy and in the 70s; 2023: cloudy and cool, in the 70s; 2015: very humid, with high in the 80s

Photo/Image credits

All photos copyright Nina Manzi, except:

• Dean Lokken: Turkey Vulture
• Gary Sater: American Goldfinch
• Greg Seitz, St. Croix 360: Midland Clubtail Dragonfly, Pygmy Snaketail Dragonfly
• Jane Williams-Petersen: Magpie Inkcap Mushroom, Wild Black Raspberries