Astronomy

Before sunrise on Sunday the 14th and Monday the 15th look in the east for the planet Mars to the upper right of the planet Jupiter. And if you have binoculars, you might see the planet Uranus near Mars. Mars will be orangish in color, and Uranus green.

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 done nesting. They are forming flocks in anticipation of migration.

Mammals

Look for deer foraging at dawn and dusk. Animals that are active at dawn and dusk, like deer, are called “crepuscular”. The full Buck Moon was not long ago, and male deer have started to grow antlers. And if you don’t see deer, maybe you’ll see their tracks!

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 as well as smaller insects, and got their name because the coloring of one species resembles the red coats of British soldiers 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 are more 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 most Skimmers 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. The families of dragonflies known as “Darners” and “Clubtails” are also perchers. 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.

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.

You may still find ripe Wild Black Raspberries – a tasty treat for hikers! Look for Monarch caterpillars on milkweed leaves. 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 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
Saturday, July 13	2023: thunderstorm in late evening; 2021: steamy and in the 80s; 2013: record rainfall of 2.79 inches
Sunday, July 14	2010: 75° in the morning and steamy, but with a breeze
Monday, 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.
Tuesday, July 16	2023: gusty winds in the afternoon; 2022: thick air, high in 80s; 2019: 1/4 inch of rain
Wednesday, July 17	2023: cloudy and cool, in the 70s; 2015: very humid, with high in the 80s
Thursday, July 19	2023: sunny and breezy with a high in the 70s; 2015: thunderstorm after midnight brings ¾” rain

Photo/Image credits

All photos copyright Nina Manzi, except:

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