Pretty Susan
I'm not the only one who enjoys the proliferation of black-eyed Susans in the landscaped areas of Chicago Wilderness. Originally a late-blooming native, horticulturists have created many varieties that you'll see in bloom throughout the fall. The scientific name for the genus, Rudbeckia, was given in honor of Olaf Rudbeck, the pre-eminent Swedish botanist of the 17th century. In addition to his legendary contribution to botany, Rudbeck also wrote a long series of highly detailed works where he attempted to prove that Sweden was the lost continent of Atlantis. Hmmm. As for the common name, I don't know who Susan was, but I can imagine her eyes were black.

MIDDLE AUTUMN

Hawk Eyes
I can't think of too many things more enjoyable than hawk watching in the fall. You get to sit outside in a comfy chair, sip warm drinks, enjoy the camaraderie of interesting people, and watch as the marvels unfold.

The splendid research done by our local hawk spotters indicates that a healthy percentage — over 25% — of the migrants spotted this fall will be sharp-shinned hawks. During the summer, sharpies are seldom-seen woodland hunters. But sometime in October, especially the day after an early arctic cold front passes through, a steady west-northwest wind will carry a hundred or more sharpies over strategic migration points.

The hawks have a long way to travel. After they have zoomed down the western shores of Lake Michigan, they'll continue on for another thousand miles, eventually spending their winter vacation in Mexico and Central America. They'll return next spring to raise another family.

Cardinal Flowers
I still remember the day, October 6, 1984, when my good friend Emily called to tell me all about the cardinal flower she found blooming in a wet forest preserve meadow. (As she was breathlessly explaining the scene, I was watching the despicable Steve Garvey crush a ninth-inning home run to ruin yet another Cubs season.)

Emily had a good reason to be excited. The appropriately named cardinal flower has spectacular, intense scarlet blossoms on a tall stem. They are doing well in some protected wetlands. Cardinal flowers will continue to bloom in October, particularly in the southern portion of our region. Folklore reports the root of the cardinal flower can be used to make a potent love potion. I wonder if Emily knew this?

Aster Land
According to the experts, we have over 25 species of asters in Chicago Wilderness. Some are common, others rare. The forked aster is only found on a few wooded slopes, such as the ravines near Honey Lake, north of Barrington in Lake County.

Even during early November, you can find blooming asters. There are a few sky blue asters in our prairie remnants. The New England aster, also a late bloomer, is a tad more common, as they seem to be able to tolerate a higher level of stress and disturbance.

LATE AUTUMN

Our Rarest Owls
Late fall is usually a good time to search for owls. But barn owls are, without doubt, the most uncommon owl in Chicago Wilderness today. They almost never turn up on the November owl prowls, rare bird alerts, or the formal bird counts. A half century ago, when there were more wooden barns, more good habitat,

and pest poisons hadn't fully impacted owl populations, barn owls could be seen flying over the newly harvested farm fields. Not any more. Other than the exceptional flyby, the last verified report of local barn owls is from Will County in 1984. I'll buy a beer for anybody who can tell me what they called barn owls before there were barns.

Cold Moles
Here is something I just learned: moles don't hibernate. As winter approaches and the ground freezes above them, these furry little animals simply dig deeper, always staying below the freeze line. They might move a little more slowly as they feel for fat grubs and juicy night crawlers, but nobody knows for sure. The eastern mole is common in some local areas with sandy soil and infrequent pesticide use. The star-nosed mole may or may not live in the region. In the 1850s, Robert Kennicott reported them as occurring in Cook County, probably on the basis of sight, but no actual specimens have been collected from Illinois.