It is the end of summer and autumn is raising its head slowly. The brilliant flowers of summer have faded and are now beginning to drop seed for next year. When I look around I feel a bit sad and think that the world around me is fading too. My local “walk abouts” seem not as enticing. My step not as springy as during summer. My expectations definitely lower.

And then I open my eyes and try to truly observe what is in right front of me.

How can one not see the beauty of walking into the photo above? You can almost hear the trees rustling in the breeze. A few dry leaves skittering on the trail. The call of the Northern Flicker from nearby. The coolness of the clouds overhead. The smell of the new cedar fence. It brings with it the peacefulness of fall. It may not have the vivid colors of summer but it brings its own beauty and richness. And perhaps that is the incessant pull of moving out of summer and into the next season.

Living close to a trail provides innumerable benefits including several bridges within easy walking distance. Along with all the water fowl and other shore birds that grace us with their presence.

The view from this bridge can change dramatically from summer to fall, as this is at the far northern headwaters of the Hoover dam in Ohio.

And this is what it looks like in the fall. During the summer, the Little Walnut creek flows from tree line to tree line. You’ll hear/see Red Headed woodpeckers, Tree swallows, Kingfishers, Carolina chickadees, Red Bellied and Downy woodpeckers, Cedar waxwings and many other birds. Great Blue herons and Great egrets wade the shallow waters edge.

Fall is notorious for blooming asters and goldenrod, and thankfully we do have plenty of these to help the bees and butterflies. It’s a tough time for these creatures, with so much of the blooming plants gone. Their food supply is great diminished. Nectar and pollen is in tight supply.

The photos above were taken alongside the trail. These plants are asters (from the family Asteraceae). Asters are a group of plants I have always found difficult to identify. There are more than 100 native species of asters in the U.S. In the photos above, I believe the one on the left might be a New England aster, while the one on the far right might be a Panicled aster. But the ID is definitely not confirmed. Guess I’ll just have to stay with my belief that they’re all beautiful and are most likely some type of aster. [Dear reader, if you can ID any of these please do so. It would be much appreciated. These are posted to iNaturalist, but no further ID has been made as yet.]

The fall typically offers a variety of yellow flowers, including the aforementioned goldenrod. In North America, there are more than 60 species of goldenrod. Monarchs rely on its nectar to help fuel their way south in the fall. Many butterflies and moths also use this as a fuel source.

I would be remiss if I did not dispel the myth that goldenrod is the cause of “hay fever” symptoms in the fall. The pollen in goldenrod is heavy and sticky. It is not transported by wind. The real cause is ragweed which blooms as the same time as goldenrod. Ragweed pollen is light and is easily transported by wind. Hence the common misconception the goldenrod causes hay fever. Goldenrod is a critical species to bees, butterflies and even birds (like the hummingbird). If you want to learn more about goldenrod, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has a wonderful publication called “Goldenrods of Northeast Ohio, A Field Guide to Identification and Natural History.” It has a dichotomous key to help identify species.

Here’s two more yellow flowers that we see quite often in the area at this time of year.

The two photos on the left are of the same flower, which I believe could be a False sunflower, though this has not been confirmed on iNaturalist. There are several flowers the look very similar which I find difficult to confirm ID. The flower on the right is Wingstem. This is also in the Asteraceae family. And I’ve also been told it is sometimes called Yellow ironweed. It can grow very tall, up to 8 feet.

Another flower commonly seen this year is White Snakeroot, a pretty plant with tiny little bright white flowers. It’s also in the Asteraceae family and attracts butterflies, moths, bees, wasps and flies.

The plant is native and poisonous. If cows eat the plant, their meat and milk can be contaminated with a toxin, and could even cause what’s been commonly known as milk sickness. It also has the potential to be poisonous to horses, sheep and goats. It’s definitely not something that should be ingested.

And now, let’s move on to a different color flower, one you see quite a lot during the summer and into the fall. It grows along roadway ditches, oblivious to bad soil which might also contain road salt. And you don’t have to plant them. Chicory. Also in the Asteraceae family.

This beautiful little flower blooms primarily in the morning hours and typically closes up around early afternoon on warm days. Each bloom only lasts one day. It’s a perennial plant with blue/purple flowers and is native to Europe. I’ve read that this flowers leaves, buds and roots have been used medicinally for more than 200 years. The flower itself is exquisite if you look at it up close. It’s almost as if you’re looking at little blue Christmas lights. As always in nature, if you look at things up close, it’s a little piece of magic.

So in conclusion, I can recommend taking the extra time to really look at what’s in front of you. Explore nature up close. Feel the breeze. Hear the birds. See the bits of nature that beg to be seen. There’s so much out there to learn about. To question, as if you were a four-year-old seeing something for the first time. It really can be magical and enlightening.

And now I will leave you with a view from a neighborhood development. Not much nature there to see? I beg to differ. I think the frogs, toads, dragonflies, and birds would agree with me.

Until next time, keep exploring nature up close.