Wild Nantucket: August

Full Sturgeon Moonrise

August is a busy month of grandchildren visiting; they are bursting with energy as the natural world of Nantucket starts its journey to fall. By August 1, the sickle-leaved silk grass is along the paths at tge Mikestone Bog. The steeplebush is brown from the drought and the boneset is straggly. With the cessation of cranberry farming's water, will the water willow continue to survive in the coming years? Dryness continues. Only .48 inches of rain by mid- month. The ponds are baked dry. Will there be any beach plums this year?

At Eel Point on August 6, the colors are red and golden brown: the poison ivy is turning red, the marsh grasses are goldening and beach grasses browning. Red rosehips are plumping out and silver bayberries shining. Sanderlings and ruddy turnstones forage along the shore.

Crane-fly Orchids

A highlight of my month is a visit to the Crane-fly orchids ( Tipularia discolor) with NCF botanist Kelly Omand on August 7. Listed by Massachusetts as endangered, they are found in Nantucket, Dukes, Barnstable and Bristol Counties. How many times I have walked near them on our Beechwood/ Norwood Farm hiking route, without knowing they were there? The stand of Pearly everlasting is shining and the first Little Ladies Tresses orchids (spiranthese tuberosa) are blooming. Another Nantucket rarity, St. Andrew's cross (hypericum stragulum) is on full display. Soon the downy goldenrod will come.

On August 8, I walked Squam Swamp. It is so dry, so no mushrooms...end of Clethra Alnifolia, sweet pepper, and its wonderful scent, is near. I checked out a tip from Kelly Omand that a dwarf clubspur orchid was near the Netted chain ferns (Woodwardia areolata) between post 20 and 21, but couldn't find it. On August 12, Kelly took a group of us down the deer hunters trail before post 2, to see 5 of Nantucket's 29 fern species:

New York Fern: pinnae narrow to base
Netted Chain Fern: solid leaves
Cinnamon Fern (Cinnamon fuzz where pinnae meets stalk, and at base)
Dioptera Wood Fern: black stalk, no cinnamon fuzz, wetter habitat ( vernal pool)
Bracken Fern Toridium dry upland, Tripartite

There are 10500 fern species in the world; that close to the number of bird species!

Lesser Yellowlegs, American Oystercatcher, Whimbrel

August also marks shorebird birding time, as the birds which breed in the northern regions start their journey south. Josh and I hiked to Coskata from Wauwinet on August 11. We waded across the inlet and saw hundred of terns, with some laughing gulls mixed in. Whimbrels, a dozen Semipalmated plovers and Barn swallows were great to see. At The Creeks on August 12, there was a congregation of great and snowy egrets. More than fifty of them foraged in the pool near the bike path, not bothered by me or dogs walking nearby.

On August 21, Hurricane Erin brought big seas and Wilson's storm petrels to Sconset beach. I have seen them on pelagic trips, but never before from the land. I saw 20 of them dancing on the water. Young laughing gulls seem to be everywhere on the East end. Are they breeding here now,or coming from Monomoy? Erin brought a bit of a respite to our drought with .72 inches of rain.

August 22 First false foxglove (Agalanis Purpurea) at Windswept Bog.