Phenology

Observations by Gary Fewless for Green Bay WI (Lat.N 44.51° Long. W 88.02° ), except as noted. For flowers lacking conspicuous petals or sepals I define "anthesis" as release of pollen by mature anthers.

October 2003

Observations by Gary Fewless, except as noted

Date	Observation (Click on links for photos)
Oct 31	October ended with a total of 1.05 inches of precipitation. That is 1.12 inches below average for the month. The temperature was about average (0.6 degrees above average).
Oct 25	Over 1000 sandhill cranes reported at Navarino Wildlife Area (wisbirdnet).
Oct 22	Wisconsin DNR reports that the Whitetail Deer "rut" has begun and reminds everyone that the potential for car/deer collisions is even higher now than usual.
Oct 21	Many plants still flowering in the Brown County area, as in this charlock mustard (Brassica kaber), on UWGB's Cofrin Arboretum.
Oct 18	Fringed gentians (Gentianopsis procera) still flowering, Door County.
Oct 16	The seeds of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) are at the peak of their annual dispersal in the Green Bay area. Shaggy mane mushrooms (Coprinus sp.) are conspicuous on UWGB's Cofrin Arboretum.
Oct 15	The very low water levels of Lake Michigan have exposed large areas of lakebed on Green Bay. With the water levels falling and 16 days left in October, the current level of about 577 feet is within about 7 inches of the record low level of 576.44 for October, set in 1964. Before that the water level had not been below 577 ft in October since 1936. The record low for any month was 576.05 ft. in March 1964.
Oct 14	Wis DNR reports leaf fall is occurring rapidly in northern Wisconsin and Fall colors are at about peak in most of the southern portion of the state.
Oct 12	Leaves are turning quickly in the Green Bay area. Although there are differences from one location to the next, in general the ashes are all past peak and either brown or falling. Paper birches (Betula papyrifera) and apens (Populus spp.) are yellow and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is in good color, mostly yellow this year, rather than the characteristic orange. Most of the oaks (Quercus spp.) are just beginning to change color, with some red and white oaks showing strong red coloration.
Oct 11	Warm temperatures continue (77F). The leaves have turned color very quickly since about the 7th. North of Green Bay the leaves are at about their best, and north of U.S. Highway 8 they are past peak and falling conspicuously.
Oct 10	This is the third consectutive day of very warm temperatures in Green Bay--78F today.
Oct 08	High temperature of 80F (the record for today is 83). There are still many plant species in flower, including many asters (Aster), a few goldenrods (Solidago) and greater fringed gentians (Gentianopsis crinita).
Oct 07	Unseasonably warm at 73F and a great Fall day. The Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles are out in great numbers.
Oct 05	Dark-eyed juncos at my feeders, Elton, Langlade County (Steve Janke). This mornings low temperature of 24F in Green Bay is yet another landmark low for the season (the record low for this date is 21F and the long term average low temperature for the date is 42)
Oct 04	Canada geese have been coming to the fields along the East River in Allouez for a couple of weeks, but the numbers are clearly much greater now, with 500+ geese present regularly in morning and evening in the field near my home.
Oct 02	A low temperature of 26F is the lowest of the season so far in Green Bay. Today was my first episode of scraping frost from my windshield (not my favorite phenology item). A few snow flakes reported around the City of Green Bay. Temperatures for the last 5 days have been running about 10-15 degrees F below average for this time of year.
Oct 01	Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus vitacea) has mostly turned a conspicuous reddish color on the UWGB campus. Snow reported in northeastern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan.