Outdoor Almanac

August in Massachusetts is packed with fascinating natural phenomena to watch and listen for, from the eerie glow of Luna Moths fluttering near porch lights to the quiet emergence of Ghost Pipe plants in shady forests. Catch sight of clever Green Herons fishing with bait and hear young Eastern Screech-Owls calling as they strike out on their own. This month brings the peak of the Perseid meteor shower with hundreds of shooting stars, and the migration of Common Nighthawks and shorebirds. Whether you're exploring wetlands, woodlands, or open skies, August offers a front-row seat to nature's quiet drama.

What will you discover this August? Visit a nearby wildlife sanctuary or join us for a program to make the most of your month. 

AUGUST

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After dark, look for large, light-green Luna Moths near porch lights; this adult phase only lasts for a week. 

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A few days after rain, look for Ghost Pipe plants blooming among the roots of trees in the forest. These small, colorless, flowering plants have no chlorophyll and get their nutrients from the fungi that live on tree roots. 

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Listen for the trills or whinnies of Eastern Screech-Owls calling as the young of the year leave their nests and search for territories. 

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Full moon. 

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Green Herons can be seen hunting patiently in water bodies as they spread out from their nesting sites. They employ a unique hunting tactic where they drop bait, such as an insect, on the water’s surface, grabbing the fish it attracts. 

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The Perseid meteor shower can be seen from late July to the end of August but peaks now. After midnight, shooting stars, as many as 100 per hour, flare through the darkened sky. 

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On rainy days in wooded areas, look for Red Efts (juvenile Eastern Newts) on roots and rocks. 

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Monarch butterflies are toxic to birds, and their orange and black coloring serves as a warning to birds that have tried to eat one. Check out all the other orange and black insects on milkweeds. Most of them are not toxic, but birds that have eaten a monarch are inclined to avoid all similarly colored insects. 

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Look for the 1-inch round, white, pincushion-looking flowers of buttonbush along the edges of wetlands. Get closer to see the bees, butterflies, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that flock to them for their nectar. Later, the seeds will be food for ducks and shorebirds. 

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American Mink patrol wetlands for fish, frogs, and crayfish, their main summer diet. 

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Garter snakes are hatching. These snakes are ovoviviparous, which means females make eggs but hold them in their bodies until the young hatch and then release the young. Ovoviviparity is an important adaptation for a reptile in a colder climate that can’t dig an incubation nest. 

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Common Nighthawks are migrating along the river valleys. Search above open fields near water and listen for their raspy peent calls as they hunt night-flying insects. 

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You may hear a cluster of coyotes howling during the night, but that doesn’t mean the area is filled with these canines. Most howls come from a few adults trying to locate each other or warning outsiders to stay off their territory, or from pups practicing how to howl with their parents.  

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Watch for flocks of migrating shorebirds, including Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper, in muddy estuaries, along the coast, or in lakes and reservoirs. Most of these birds breed in the Arctic and spend winters in Central and South America. Adults come through first, followed by this year’s juveniles.  

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Many animals have mastered the art of disguise, Wood Frogs included. These earthy colored frogs camouflage perfectly in the dead leaves of the forest floor, where they live most of the year.