August 1 is half way between the summer solstice and fall equinox. Insects are abundant. They are food for birds and some are pollinators for plants. On cool mornings, or after rain, water droplets can show off the webs of spiders, forming jewel-like patterns.
Beautiful to see, but sometimes deadly for unsuspecting insects. The owner of this web will detect the tug of a struggling insect and climb the web to retrieve a meal.
Flowers attract the insects of summer too. Look in fields for two flowers with different stories. Oueen Anne’s Lace was introduced from Europe. Also called wild carrot or bird’s nest for the cup-like shape of the flowers before they open, it is “naturalized” throughout New England.
Another flower found along field edges is the day lily, a cultivated plant native to Eurasia and escaped from gardens.
Plants can be clues to the history of human uses of land. Look for old apple trees in the woods or lilacs surrounded by forest. These can be clues to places that people lived in the past.