by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, PhD
Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation
I’ve been trying to think about how to capture this mid- to late-August feeling. It’s a bit like summer is winding down, but I know that the warm weather and beach days will continue well into September. Maybe it’s that the onslaught of back-to-school advertisements and school emails that has me thinking about fall. It surely isn’t the air. There is no crisp, clear September scent just yet. We’re still in the hazy warm days of August. Is there a name for late summer? How about Still Summer. Like, “hello, it’s still summer.”
August…for me, and I suspect others, this is the month that is more “in like a lion and out like a lamb” than March ever is. It starts peak summer, when everything is intense: the traffic, the heat, crowds in the Stop & Shop, beach traffic, and (for those of us not on vacation) work is at a fever pitch. And there are so many wonderful events and lectures to go to! Your calendar could be packed every evening, and it often is. Even out in nature it is peak growing season, peak pollinator activity, bird hatchlings everywhere. On both the natural and human side, things I relish in early summer become almost too much by August.
Maybe it’s our patience which is waning?
In order to quell my impatience with August and relish the rest of summer, I am proposing a “still summer” anthem of sorts. Maybe it’s more of a mantra. What do we love about this time of year? What can we celebrate these last few weeks of August as we dream of the calmer days of fall ahead?
It is my nature to be excited by plants. So, I am most looking forward to my favorite wildflower show of late August/early September. Many of the aster species of Nantucket (the daisy-like flowers of multiple habitats) come into bloom this time of year. The Aster family is a huge, diverse group of plants, including many late-flowering wildflowers. The variety of habitats (wetlands, uplands, open, and shady), colors from purple and white to yellow and shades in between, as well as leaf shapes and sizes…well, it makes a late August nature walk in the moors or through the sandplain grasslands a colorful wonderland. The golden rods alone (there are more than 14 different golden rod species on-island) create a golden path through the dunes or along the sandy paths of the south shore.
A few of our spectacular rare species also bloom this time of year. The New England Blazing Star (Liatris novae-angliae) will start to bloom along the sandy path edges of Smooth Hummocks and other sandplain grassland habitats. Look for the spike of purple flowers about two feet tall. Hopefully you’ll be able to spot them before the deer do. Our white-tailed deer love to chomp the blossoms, but there are plenty to go around.
As August sets in, a new set of fruit starts to ripen. Beach plums, rose hips, and eventually fox grapes will be visible (if you know where to look). While delicious and plentiful, the fruits of August and early September usually need processing to enjoy. Jams, jellies, and fruit pies are usually in order. The blueberries and huckleberries may be done for the season, but there is still a bit of foraging to be had. Blackberries (or dewberries) are fruiting, and they are a trail-side treat. Dewberries and blackberries are all members of the Rubus genus, along with raspberries. Some are more viney than others and some grow more upright, but all have that characteristic berry clump. When the berries are deep purple (almost black), give them a little tug. If they come off easily, they are ready to eat. If they take a bit of effort, you will end up with a sour puss.
Beside what you can see and taste, what do you hear in August? By this time, the katydids can be heard calling in the wooded areas. I’m writing this on my back deck, and I can hear their low whine or hum. The sound is produced by them rubbing two parts of their front wings together: one part is the file or comb, which has rough ridges; the other part is the plectrum, used to produce the vibration. This is the males calling to the females: they mate during late summer.
I usually think of mating, nesting, hatching all happening in spring and early summer. But the reptiles of Nantucket also love the end of the summer season. Our garter snakes will start hatching this month. Garter snakes are ovoviviparous, which means females make eggs but hold them in their bodies until the young hatch, and then release the young. Females can give birth to 12-40 young! But don’t worry. You generally won’t see them unless you go looking.
Our turtle species also begin hatching. For both our spotted and eastern painted turtles, hatchlings emerge from the nest in August or September in search of food and shelter in the edges of grassy, wet meadow areas and bogs. They can sometimes over-winter in the nest. Snapping turtle hatchlings emerge around this time as well. Let’s keep an eye out on our favorite sandy trails and along roads to help these little ones survive to next year.
Just like the college students heading out to new frontiers, late August means migration for many of bird species that bred on Nantucket this summer. The shorebird migrants include the sanderling, sandpipers, and the black-bellied plover, among many, many others. The shores of Nantucket are one of the best places to watch this migration.
The southward migration of warblers, as well as other land birds, also begins during this time. Warblers generally do most of their migration during the nighttime hours. You can sometimes see their silhouettes against the sky on moonlit nights. Join a bird walk with the Linda Loring Nature Foundation or just go out on your own to see what migratory treasures you can find.
August—in like a lion… out like a lamb. As we look forward to the “lamb” side of things, we can breathe again. We look forward to a quieter season, more space at the beach, fewer traffic jams (outside of school drop off), and more time to wander in nature.
I know I’m already looking forward to Second Summer. In the meantime, I have to remind myself: it’s Still Summer!