A hungry kestrel family strikes fear into the hearts of grasshoppers

This week our Staff Phenologist John Latimer talks early signs of autumn. Birds are quiet and late summer wildflowers like boneset and Joe Pye weed are in bloom, but the first spreading dogbane leaves are turning yellow.

John was taken by a Red-tailed Hawk this week sitting on a fence post. "I wasn't 15 feet from it and it just turned its head and looked at me like, 'What are you doing?'" John was able to get an up close and personal look at it and thought it was probably a juvenile.

John has also been able to watch a family of kestrels performing what he calls "unbelievably delicate and lovely flights."

He said, "It's just a thrill to come out of my driveway and see them all sort of scatter and whip this way and that way across the land. It must be frightening to be a grasshopper in their presence."

What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.

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