Science – Page 3 – Stone Fig

BRIDGE

During this “Winter-Without-Snow” I have taken advantage of the record-setting weather to wander fields and forest lanes which I would not usually go onto. Many of these places are not available to me Spring through Fall when the hay is growing and the ticks are more active. Right now, the hay has been cut and most insects are dormant due to their season .

Last week I went to what was for me an unexplored field surrounded by woods. I intended to walk the perimeter which was two miles around its full circuit. When I added in my excursions into the woods surrounding the field, my walk was a very pleasant three miles – and maybe a bit more. As I walked the edges of the field, I would walk down into the surrounding woods to look at some item that had caught my eye. Perhaps it was an old bottle reflecting the sun, or a particularly interesting shape of a tree, or a stand of bushes full of bright red winter-berries.

I was drawn further into the woods by a stream that flowed near the edge of the woods. The rains of the week before had mostly drained out of the hilly woods surrounding the field. The stream was flowing quietly. It carried a sparkling brightness in the filtered sunlight and was worth exploration. The woods were not dark like northern coniferous forests full of evergreens. This was a bright, southern mixed hardwood forest of bare branches and filtered sunlight. The branches, bare of leaves, allowed the sunlight to penetrate through what in summer is a darkening canopy and brighten the area below. It was bright and inviting so I directed my trek along the course of the stream.

It was easy to tell that the stream would sometimes run high and fast as the banks of the stream were steep and without much growth. Further up the hill into the forest I could see something that stretched across the stream. When I got to it, I found it was an abandoned foot-bridge. But it was not a bridge that could be used. It was missing boards. A few were in place, but other dangled above the narrow stream. Only one of the natural-timber cross-pieces was still in place, spanning the stream to the opposite bank. No animal other than a raccoon or a mouse would be able to cross it easily.

Once in times past, the bridge had spanned the stream. It went from one place to another. It had lain at some point further up the stream. Then a day of heavy rain and high water, perhaps in a hurricane, had lifted the bridge and pushed it to this current spot. On my side of the stream the bridge was open. On the opposite bank the timber span ended at the base of a large tree.

Even though the bridge could not now be crossed, it still caused me to wonder. What is on the other side? I could easily see the other side just across the small gully; the distance was less than 30 feet. But if I could have walked across the bridge, what would I actually see? I would see the same trees on that far bank that I could see from my current spot. But on that far side I would be able to reach out and touch those trees. I would experience that distant shore.

I have never seen a bridge that I did not want to cross in order to touch the other side.

And that has made all the difference. (1)

Borrowing the closing from Robert Frost’s, The Road Not Taken.

Betelgeuse – Fading

So just what is going on with Betelgeuse?

That’s a good question, and no one seems to have the answer. It may not be possible to have an answer right now.

First of all Betelgeuse is one of my favorite stars in one of my favorite constellations. Betelgeuse is a red super giant star in the constellation Orion. For basic comparison Betelgeuse is 600 times the diameter of the sun and emits 7,500 times the amount of radiation as the Sun. If Betelgeuse were in the Sun’s position the red giant would engulf the planets of the solar system out beyond the orbit of Jupiter.

In the Winter, Orion is clearly visible at night in the northern hemisphere. Betelgeuse is the bright reddish start at the upper end of Orion on the observers left. That is considered the right shoulder of Orion. Just as when you are facing a person, your left side is opposite their right side.

We have all likely been able to see Orion at some time in our lives and are familiar with its shape. A visual aspect of the major stars is shown in the diagram above. There are many more stars in the constellation, but it is these stars that are easiest to pick out when looking up at the constellation at night. Betelgeuse is the star on the upper left. The brightest star in the constellation is Rigel which is opposite Betelgeuse in the lower right side. The other two stars that make up the “frame” of the body of Orion are Bellatrix and Saiph, in the, respectively, upper right position and the lower left position of these four stars.

But discussing the constellation cannot be done without expressing the beauty of the true jewel of Orion, the Orion nebula, the middle star in Orion’s sword that hangs from the three stars of his belt.

Recently there have been numerous articles about the dimming of Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is a variable star known to dim and brighten over a period of time. However the current dimming is greater than those seen previously. In an article in EarthSky, there is a pair of photographs of Betelgeuse take by Brian Ottum in February 2016 and in December 2019. By comparing the two photographs, the dimming of the star can easily be seen. I found that scaling the picture down in size actually made the difference more apparent.

But can I see this in the sky?

Yes, relatively speaking. Relatively from having seen the star in previous winters as it crossed the sky. Whether out star-gazing on darkened fields, or going out well before sunrise to listen for owls or other birds, I will sit quietly in my folding chair and stare up at the sky. That’s a grand way to spend some time. From this I have a picture in my mind’s eye of the stars in Orion. To me the four stars could be separated as the diagonal pair of Betelgeuse and Rigel, and a second diagonal pair of Bellatrix and Saiph. The stars in these parings have always seemed similar in brightness to me. If you look the stars up you will of course find that the apparent brightness or the absolute magnitude of the two stars in the pairing are not close, but the pairing is the two brighter stars and a second paring of the two less bright stars. To me the diagonal pair of Betelgeuse and Rigel have always been somewhat matched in brightness in the night sky.

After I had seen several articles related to the dimming of Betelgeuse I went out and looked up to see Orion on several nights. But I did not have a picture of what I remembered seeing. I had to recall in my mind how the stars shone. And I could see a difference in Betelgeuse. It was still reddish but it was considerably less bright.

So why the dimming of this inconstant star. Again a good questions and the answer to which will only truly be revealed by the passage of time. Several articles speculated on the shrinking of the giant star as it prepares to blow off its outer shell and explode in a super nova. But I will not need to sit out each night and watch for this as an event like that might not happen for 100,000 years or more. But maybe I will sit out next week and keep my eye on it. That would be a spectacular sight.

However, the light from Betelgeuse takes a over 650 years to reach earth. So, it might have happened already and the light of the event has not yet reached earth.

And recently gravity waves were observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) that came from the area of the sky in the general area of Betelgeuse. What is that about? In reading information from the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) again we do not know the source, but it does not appear to emanate from Betelgeuse.

So we wait to learn. But in the meantime, we can go out on any Winter night and enjoy looking up at the stars of Orion. His frame shines out as does his belt and his sword. The constellation dominates the Winter sky. A bonus are his dogs represented by Sirius and Procyon. And if the night is dark and the sky is clear, below them hiding in the grass you may see Lepus, the rabbit.

The EarthSky article may be found at: https://earthsky.org/space/ligo-gravitational-wave-burst-near-betelgeus

A “tweet” from Dr. Stella Kafka, Director and CEO of AAVSO, on January 14, 2020, may be found by searching at: https://twitter.com

Faithful

It is Christmas Eve. As I do on all Christmas Eves I am spending time outside, looking up at the stars and recounting them in my life.

There was a star that is no longer visible to our eyes, but I look for it just the same.

When I went out tonight, I saw that the Hunter, Orion, had risen. He is followed by his two companions, his dogs, Procyon in Canis Minor, and Sirius in Canis Major. Through each cycle of night in the cooler months they can be seen making their trek across the heavens. I prefer to think of them as returning home after a hunt. The Hunter is tired, and his dogs are exhausted. They follow behind the Hunter. Procyon the smaller of the two stars – and smaller of the dogs – trails at the rear. Sirius, the larger star – and the brightest star tin the night sky – holds his rank as companion to the Hunter just below the Hunter’s right side (our left as we look up).

Perhaps the Hunter had been walking slowly home after a failed hunt. He is tired, his head hangs, his club rests on his shoulder or hangs in his hand like a weight upon his soul. Then suddenly, a loud snort, a blow of hot air, startles him into a defensive posture as the bull attacks. Doubtlessly the hunter is scared, but he stands his ground and prepares to defend himself. And his companions, the dog stars Procyon and Sirius, are now alert and snarling. They stand at his side to face the charge of the enraged bull.

The stars of these several constellations are immobile in their ballet. They stand frozen for all of us to see and consider how we will react on a sudden charge. Will we stand like the Hunter and defend ourselves? Will our companions stand by our side?

Each of us is both a follower and a leader. Each of us faces fear and must be prepared to respond.

If we chose our companions well, they will stand with us. If we chose our stance well, we will be able to protect ourselves and our companions. And if we choose well who we will follow, we will overcome.

If you walk a forest path you may come upon a bear. If you walk in the fields and meadows of the mountains you may come upon a bull elk or a bison.

In each instance, we and our companions are called upon the face the danger and follow the guidance of the One we have chosen to follow.

And will we overcome.

And in all of this, Merry Christmas to all.

The picture above is borrowed from NASA.

(*Just_A_Note) – Cold Moon / True Moon

It was the last full moon of the year – and the decade.

Our calendars and our clocks do not make any variance in the movement of the stars, or the planets, or their moons. Our clocks and calendars allow us to track the procession of the heavenly bodies, but they do not guide them. Never the less, when a celestial event happens on a meaning-filled date it is remarkable; that is in the sense that the juxtaposition may be remarked upon.

For me the 12th day of December is a meaning-filled date. When an event is forecast for that date for me it is remarkable.

So it was with the Full Cold Moon on an early morning of mid-December. I went outside and took my picture in the light of the last full moon of the decade just at the peak of its brightness.

Or so I thought.

Having herein proclaimed that the celestial bodies do not care about our watches or calendars, I must say I was 24 hours off.

I stood outside, bundled against the cold, watching the moon creep towards its zenith, and I thought its brightest. My watch told me that the time was approaching 12:15 AM on December 13^th. At that moment, I turned so that I was not in the Moon’s shadow and took my picture, with the full moon in the background masked by light clouds.

The peak of the full moon, I later discovered, had been a full day before on 12 December. I was standing outside on the morning of 13 December.

But this was not like the transit of Mercury which happens and then is over. If I missed the fullness of the moon on the 12th of December, I could still take my picture of me and the moon 24 hours later. And I could still declare that the event and the picture were meaningful to me.

A picture of me with the moon at the actual time of the event would be more preferable, but I was ok. It was a grand night. It was cold and partly clear. I could see the moon and a star or two shining through the thin clouds. I could hear the dogs in the neighborhood barking, perhaps at a fox, or a stray cat, or maybe at the moon.

And I was outside enjoying it all.

https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-december-6-14/

Fall Burning

It was a nice week-day in the late Fall, a perfect day for a hike at one of my favorite spots. The fields beyond the Brawner Farm at the Manassas National Battlefield Park (NBP) were calling to me.

I wanted to get out and hike around. I also wanted to see how the Prescribed Fire that the Park had set in the previous week had done its job. Prescribed Fire is a technique used by the National Park Service (NPS) and other federal, state, and private land managers to aid in managing the types of plants on the land.

A Prescribed Fire is used to burn off invasive plants that have choked out native plants. This aids in the recovery of native plants once the invasive species have been burned off. Burning the landscape in a Prescribed Fire can also be used to enhance the visual aspects of a site. This is often called a “viewshed” as it improved the view of the historic site for visitors. It will enable the visitors to have a better sense of how the land looked at the time of a historical event. In the case of this area, the burn can restore the lay of the battlefield as it was at the time of the Second Battle of Manassas fought August 28-30, 1862. At that time the area was pastoral. It was a series of connecting farm lands. The portion being restored by Prescribed Fire is known as the Brawner Farm. The Brawner family owned and farmed the land before and after the battle. The battle began from the front yard of the Brawner’s house and raged around the house and across their farm for three days.

The National Park Service (NPS) uses Prescribed Fires to satisfy both natural and cultural goals for the Parks of the United States. However, as stated by the management of the Manassas NBP, “safety is the main concern”. According the NPS web-page on Prescribed Fire the Park must develop its strategic management plan which provides the background and need for Prescribed Fires. In addition, each burn must have a specific “burn plan” which establishes the conditions that must be met before a burn is executed. For example, a burn would not be started on a windy day that might cause the fire to spread to other areas not intended to be burned. During the burn the fire is monitored by on -site staff who are trained in managing and suppressing fires in grass lands.

The burn has been completed, and I can walk the trails again. I and other visitors to the battlefield can now see in the distance the railroad cut along which the battle on the second day was fought. We can gain a sense of the openness of the fields across which that the Union troops charged while exposed to Confederate rifle and cannon fire.

The native grasses will return along with other native plants including blackberry vines and ground roses. These roses are sometimes called a rose for Wisconsin, in honor of the stand made by the Iron Brigade in the twilight on Brawner’s Farm. These wild roses (Rosa virginiana) grow close to the ground in fields where hay is cut. They may be found across Brawner Farm, growing beneath the scythe.

As the native grasses return, it is hoped that the population of Bob White quail (Colinus virginianus) will increase. The call of the coveys can sometimes be heard across the battlefield in the early mornings.

During the three-day battle 2,800 men were killed and over 14,00 were wounded. Today the land is peaceful again. But a walker who pauses to read the NPS signs can be aware of the pace and horror of the battle.

Information on the Park and on the Prescribed Burns may be found at: http://www.wildlandfirefighter.com/2019/11/21/park-service-starts-prescribed-burns-at-manassas-battlefield/ ; https://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/news/prescribed-fire-april-2019.htm ; https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1965/wildfires-prescribed-fires-fuels.htm ; https://www.nps.gov/articles/600182.htm#4/35.46/-98.57

UPDate – The Event – Transit of Mercury 2019

Yesterday, 11 November, 2019, Veterans Day, Mercury made its fourth (2003, 2006, 2016, 2019) transit of the Solar disk in the 21^st century. I was glad to be able to view the event on my solar projection device. It’s homemade and has brought me many hours of enjoyment being out in the fields of Virginia trying to catch a glimpse of the solar events of both Mercury and Venus. In the pictures below you will see short pieces of tape with dates written on them. These dates represent my attempts over the last fifteen years to view transits of the two inner planets. In 2004 and then again in 2012 I tried to view the transits of Venus. In 2004 the initial stages of the event were obscured by a heavy fog. However, I was able to capture a glimpse of the event just before its conclusion. Yesterday, I was able to watch a great deal of the transit of Mercury.

My viewing platform is built around a Newtonian telescope that I bought from Sears in 1986 to view the last passing of Halley’s Comet. The platform is two hinged boards. The bottom board is a base for mounting the viewing platform on a hand truck, the upper board holds the telescope and the viewing screen. The viewing screen is mounted over the eye piece of the telescope. The screen is a piece of plastic sheet mounted on a wooden frame. I use a third piece of wood hinged to the upper board that enables me to maintain the proper elevation for the telescope. I also use wood blacks to help in holding the correct elevation, as the projection of the sun and the planet moves quickly across the screen.

The biggest surprise for me was how tiny the planet appeared on my screen. My screen was able to accommodate the disk of the sun. But in that projection Mercury appeared only slightly bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. Due to this as well as the texture of the viewing screen and my questionable skill as a photographer, I was not able to take a picture of the “dot” of Mercury that I can provide in this article. However, I present my pictures of the event and my viewing platform.

I am happy to share the experience and my excitement at seeing that small dot proceed across the disk of the Sun.

My original post leading up to the transit of Mercury was posted on October 30, 2019.

Forest Triptych

There are three main levels in a forest. There is the base or ground level on which you enter the forest. There is the mid-level of the tree trunks and undergrowth of bushes, vines, and immature trees. And upper most there is the canopy of leaves.

At this time of year when I enter the forest, even on a well-trodden path, with every step there is a rustling of leaves beneath my feet. If there is a breeze up, there may be the quiet fall of the last leaves as they leave their summer perch in the trees and drift to the base, the floor of the forest. The loss of the leaves allows the distant drumming and raucous call of the Pileated Woodpecker to be heard through out the forest. At the edge of the forest where there is an old Pear tree, there is the drone of wasps as they fly around the rotting fruit as it lies on the ground. And if you are there in the rain there is the wandering, light sound of the rain drops as they fall from the lofty canopy onto the forest floor with its cover of leaves. The path into the forest is covered in leaves from Oak and Ash and Poplar and from the unnamed multitude of lower elevation eastern hardwoods. The leaves scatter with a slight rattle as I walk the path under the trees.

The forest takes on a different smell in the Fall. The Summer is more dry as the heat of the day evaporates the moisture and dries out the leaf litter and other detritus on the forest floor. In the Fall the forest may be wetter as the moisture is not evaporated as quickly because of coolness of the season. The pears by the forest entrance lend a heavy sweetness. The leaves as they give up their moisture give an earthy odor to the air. The sap in the trees is being drawn down into the roots. As it goes down the Poplar and Tulip trees do not give the same Summer richness in the forest. The Fall is a time of rest and decay which give rise to the new forests of Springs and Summers yet to come.

During the Fall, the canopy and the understory and on the forest floor each have a wash of a multitude of colors. The canopies of the various trees carry a new palate of color as it is lit from above by the sun and viewed from below. In Fall with its cooler temperatures and shorter days, the tree’s process of photosynthesis slows and then stops. The leaves no longer take up carbon dioxide from the air, nor release oxygen. The leaves no longer are making the sugars necessary for the tree to grow. As a factory, the tree is shutting down; it will restart in the Spring. Now the chlorophyll which gives the leaves their green color and which is the driver for photosynthesis, breaks down, and other pigments are revealed. The carotene and the xanthophyll which will give the leaves their red, to orange, to yellow colors are revealed. Walking below the multi-hued canopy on a sunny day is like walking inside a kaleidoscope. Colors that no one knows the names of (1) are thrown into the air.

All of these speak to the coming of Winter, and to the promise of Spring.

1. Wasn’t Born to Follow – The Byrds, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=wasn%27t+born+to+follow+easy+rider&view=detail&mid=48DFAEA971D863977A6948DFAEA971D863977A69&FORM=VIRE

Shot with the song in Easy Rider (1969) is at Sunset Crater National Monument, Arizona

Transit of Mercury – Get Ready!

The Transit of Mercury will take place in the early morning of November 11, 2019. Now is the time tor prepare.

There is a shelf in my garage above the cabinets.. Its way up there, and if I want to reach it I have to stretch, and maybe get a stick to push things so I can grab them.Up on the shelf are tools, and hard hats, and a rabbit box, plus equipment we made for old science fair experiments, and overlying it all is a contraption made of two pieces of plywood and numerous hinges. Lying on top of that is a spindly item with four threaded rods for legs that support a celluloid viewing screen.

This was my viewing platform for the transit of Venus in 2004; and then again for the transit of 2012. In 2012 it was cloudy where I was so I could not observe the sun – or Venus.

But the previous event in 2004 was the event for which I made the contraption. The contraption was built to hold my old Newtonian telescope. It was an inexpensive ($20.00) telescope but very functional. I have had the telescope for more than 30 years. I bought it in 1986 to view Halley’s comet. Since then I have used it often. In 2004 I planned to strap it into place on my T.V.P. (Transit Viewing Platform) and see what I could see. I made the T.V.P. so I could mount it on a hand cart for ease of movement. It had several elevation blocks to get the elevation that I needed, and I attached a small, hinged elevation board that gave me the ability to fine tune the elevation. Lastly I used a broad-headed “brad” (a nail made of wire) that helped me aim the device. I mounted the nail so it was pointed towards the sun. When the shadow of the nail head was centered on the base of the nail, I knew the telescope was pointed right at the sun.

A week before the transit I drove out to my viewing location in a local National Park. I needed to test my device. I am pleased to say it worked as planned. A ranger stopped and asked what I was doing and what the contraption was. I told him what I was doing, and assured him that the telescope and mount were not a rocket launcher. Although I must admit that it looked like one.

I was ready!

On the morning of the transit I got up early. When I looked out the window I was stunned. It was incredibly foggy. I have never seen fog so thick. But I was going! I was sure of my contraption, I was certain of my site with a good eastern exposure, and I hoped that the weather would break before Venus crossed the disk of the sun.

I was wrong.

As I drove out to the site I was unsure of what I would find. It was foggy, but I didn’t care, I was ready. The appointed time came, and the fog was no less thick. By the time of the transit being half completed the weather had not improved. I had to make a choice. I decided to go – and find a fog-free spot.

I put all my equipment back into my car and headed west. The road was covered with the fog, and I had to be careful in my driving. Finally, I made it out of the fog. I took a turnoff that I hoped would have a place to set up my telescope. I finally found one. I only had ten minutes before the transit was complete. I found a good spot. I took out the telescope and its T.V.P. and aimed it at the sun. There were still some clouds in the sky, but I had a good projection onto my screen. And there in the lower right was Venus! It was a small black dot against the disk of the sun. I stood in awe not of myself by of others who had chased this dot around the globe only to be disappointed by the weather. In 1761, the British expedition to Saint Helena, in the south Atlantic, did not see what I had just seen. They were explorers. I had followed in their footsteps.

On 11 November, 2019 Mercury will transit the sun. Venus makes its transits in pairs as in the 2004 and 2012 transits. There is a period of 105 to 122 years before another pair of Venus transits happen. Mercury has its transit more often. A transit of Mercury will occur 4 more times before 2060. So there are good opportunities to see it.

If you want to see the 11/11 transit you will need to find a place with a good eastern exposure. You must also have a projection device to see the small black dot on the face of the sun. Do not view the sun or the transit directly. Do not look at the sun. It will severely damage your eyes. Try to find a place that can help you observe the transit. And know that you are participating in an observation that has been important to scientists since they first were able to use telescopes and projection screens to observe it.

More information on the 11 November transit of Mercury may be found at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/events/2019/11/11/watch-the-transit-of-mercury-2019/

Sweeping the Sky

This morning was a wonderful Fall morning. It was clear. It was cool. As the sun came up it burnished the tops of the trees down in the woods. Some high, thin clouds were out to greet the sun. And as they passed overhead they were swept by the top most branches on the sun-lit trees.

At least it appeared that way.

But these trees did not touch the clouds. As the clouds drifted by they only appeared to be swept by the upper branches. However, this is not always the case. On mornings when the day is foggy, the clouds can engulf and move through the trees, and the trees clear out lines in the fog.

But today it appeared that the trees might be touching the clouds. Yet this was only my perspective. In reality, the trees did not touch the clouds. They touched the sky.

The real effect of the trees extends way beyond their height.

The leaves on the trees are the main component in clearing the atmosphere of carbon dioxide (CO2). The leaves absorb the CO2 and use it in the photosynthesis process. Photosynthesis, roughly translated, means, made from light. The light provides the energy of the sun to the trees. The trees use the energy from the sun to change CO2, absorbed from the air, into glucose (C6H12O6) for the tree’s metabolism. Through photosynthesis the tree manufactures C6H12O6 to enhance its own growth. This process uses water (H2O) drawn up from the soil in which the trees roots are bound. From the process glucose is produced, as well as oxygen (O2). But more O2 is produced than the tree requires of its own use. The excess O2 is released back into the atmosphere. There the oxygen is available for our use with every breath we take, and for all other creatures. It is not only the trees that carry out photosynthesis but all plants with chlorophyll use this process to enhance their growth. And thereby they all release the excess O2 into the atmosphere.

The basic chemical reaction that takes place using the energy from the sun is shown as follows;

This is the respiration of trees. Through this process we are supplied with the oxygen that we need for life, to run our own metabolism, and by which we grow and succeed. This is true for birds, for creatures in the trees and creatures on the ground, and for fish in the sea. The trees support us all.

The pumping of O2 into the atmosphere can be seen on the Keeling Curve (see article dated 02/15/2019, the Keeling Curve). The level of CO2 is measured and shown on the curve as a saw tooth edge. The rise and fall of this saw toothed edge come about as the leaves on the trees open in the Spring, and the CO2 falls. Then when the leaves fall from the trees in Autumn, the CO2 rises.

The trees sweep up CO2 from our atmosphere and replace it with oxygen, O2.

The trees hold our atmosphere in place. They are “sky anchors” which bind the chemical makeup of the atmosphere close to the earth where we can all use it. We must treasure our trees and protect them.

However, as the world population soars, more land for farming is required, for both subsistence farming and large scale farming. The land is also required for living space. As whole forests are cut down and burned, each of us needs to work to replace the trees. The Nature Conservancy is leading a campaign called “Plant a Billion Trees”, https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/plant-a-billion/. Its goal is to stimulate reforestation. Large scale efforts like this and even individuals planting trees in their garden can ensure clean air for all of us. The trees are “sky anchors” that can hold the sky in place.

Starling Starlings

Fall is almost upon us. The leaves on the mid-Atlantic are beginning to change. They are taking on their yellow and russet colors. When the morning sun first hits the tops of the trees they look like gold.

We are having our first string of cool mornings. Its great to sit outside and listen to the day start. The birds are singing and welcoming the sun. The chipmunks are running under foot with more stores for their winter larder. The last of the hummingbirds are still around although we are not putting out nectar for them any longer. I have seen two hummingbirds in the last two days. They stop and look at me in my chair before they fly on. They need to move on south. Its going to be cold here this winter.

But the greatest shows of the Fall are going to be the Starlings and Cowbirds as they come together in massive flocks that will lift off and swirl and pirouette in the sky forming fantastic images of depth and shadow. I will see some of these when I go out to the countryside and hike the trails that look across fields and are bordered by trees where the birds perch in the evenings.

Over the last few mornings I have watched Starlings gather in the treetops of the nearby woods. The fly in in small groups of five to twelve birds. They gather and squawk and chirp as more groups come in. A small group may lift off but they settle back when the entire group does not rise with them. The first day I saw them, it was a small group of less than 50 birds. The next day there were upwards of 300 birds, and the day after that there were at least 2,000 birds. When they rose in the air the sound of their wings drowned out the traffic from the nearby roads. They would swirl once or twice with the thicker portions of the flock becoming darker with the greater mass of birds. But the depth and shadow would shift and rotate as the birds lifted and eventually flew off to the south east.

These birds are not native to North America. They were first imported in 1890 and sixty birds were released into Central Park in New York City. Why? Supposedly because they are mentioned in Shakespeare. But their mention is not a pleasant one nor for beauty or pleasure. In Henry IV, Part I, Act I, Scene III, Hotspur, who is in rebellion against the king, fantasies of teaching a Starling to say the name of the king’s enemy, Mortimer. Hotspur will give the bird to the king in whose court the bird will continually speak the name of Mortimer, and the bird’s utterances will “keep his [the kings] anger still in motion.”

The birds released in 1890 in New York City survived the winter and began to flourish. Now, nearly one hundred and twenty years later, The Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) have become widespread across North America. They number into the hundreds of millions.

The clouds of birds that wheel in their flocks, are known as murmurations. From a distance, they may be amazing. But up close these large groups of birds create a hazard. They are noisy. The ground below their night perches become fouled with their droppings. Clouds of these birds have caused planes to crash. They can devastate crops in the field. A US Department of Agriculture article stated that in 2000, the damage by Starlings to agricultural crops was estimated at $800 million. And millions more have been spent on trying to chase the birds away from airports, from significant buildings, and neighborhoods. The birds are an invasive species. They are truly pests.

Yet when I watch my few Starlings in these Fall mornings, I am amazed at their flocking and flight.

But I watch them closely to make sure that they are not taking up evening residence.

Other articles on Starlings may be found in the New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/01/opinion/100-years-of-the-starling.html

and in the Smithsonian magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-invasive-species-we-can-blame-on-shakespeare-95506437/.

The USDA article may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/07pubs/linz076.pdf.