Nature Almanac for November 2019

forest path covered in fallen leaves
a forest path covered in fallen autumn leaves

These wonderful, beautiful fall days inspire me to go outside. I want to walk and crunch leaves beneath my feet. It is hard to walk quietly on the dry leaves.  Each step, each crunch, echoes throughout the forest.

a bench in forest in autumn
a bench in the forest in autumn

As I stopped to taken in the beauty of the forest, an empty bench was my only companion.

 

amphitheater_in the forest_
An amphitheater in the forest

 

An amphitheater made of big boulders.  Perhaps, the site of a council of the animals, as they discuss the humans and how we lost our way. And how to help us find our way back home.

 

Nature Calendar November 2019

October 31 – November 1 – Halloween and All Soul’s Eve. The Harvest Season Ends
November 3 – Daylight Savings Time Ends
November  4 – First Quarter Moon
November 12 – Full Beaver Moon, Full Frost Moon
November 19 – Last Quarter Moon
November 26 – New Moon

 

What to Observe Right Now

Birds – Winter residents begin arriving, last of raptors migrate
Flowers – The last of the goldenrods and asters bloom, dried flower stalks, and seed heads
Insects – The last of the bees, wasps, gnats, flies, and milkweed bugs
Animals – chipmunks are still active here in Philly

  • Black Bears are heading to their winter dens and entering torpor
  • Lobsters move to offshore waters
  • Best fishing 1st through 12th, 26th through 30th
milkweed bugs_penstemon
Large Milkweed bugs on a Penstemon plant in my flower garden.

In the Night Sky

  • New Moon always rises near sunrise
  • First Quarter rises near noon
  • Full Moon always rises near sunset
  • Last Quarter rises near midnight
  • Moonrise occurs about 50 minutes later each day
  • Watching the circumpolar stars

 

What to Photograph and Draw Right Now

  • fall berries
  • acorns
  • frost on grass and leaves
  • mist rising from ponds, lakes, and rivers

 

Taking Autumn Photographs

  • taking photographs on overcast days heightens the colors
  • take photographs while standing in the shade, use cloudy white balance setting
  • use the foliage setting on your point-and-shoot camera
  • use the landscape mode to take landscape scenes

 

Citizen Science

2019 Nature Almanacs

Nature Almanac: December 2019

Nature Almanac: October 2019

Nature Almanac: September 2019

Nature Almanac: August 2019

 

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