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I was curious about the berries that I have started to see on more and more branches as I take my walk by the river. I had noticed very many, if any at all earlier in the fall while it was still warm out. I am curious to see what kinds of plants produce berries, how it is related to the weather change, and what it indicates about the plant.

The specific plant that I noticed the berries growing on was a branchy, taller plant, located on the edge of the banks of the Huron River. Using the pictures and information gathered by my walk, I found that this plant is called the Amur Honeysuckle and has been reported to be found all over the Chicago region and surrounding areas. It is a multi-stemmed perennial shrub that produces white flowers that bloom in the spring, and fruit in the late fall and even early winter in some cases. The fruit ripens from green to red. The fruit is formed on the leaves axel, which is why they can stay on the fruit into winter (Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes).

This plant, while bright in color and exciting to spot, is not great for the wildlife of Ann Arbor. Amur Honeysuckle is an invasive species originating from Eastern Asia. Its rapid spread is caused by the plant's ability to grow quickly and thrive in many different temperatures, soil, etc. The fruit of the plant is often eaten by birds and easily spreads to other places in this way as well. Once spread, the bush quickly ravishes the area and chokes out the native wildlife (Michigan United Conservation Clubs).

Knowing of the many bushes I have seen on my walk, I am more aware than ever of the presence of the Amur Honeysuckle in Ann Arbor. The pretty color may have fooled me once, but I know now that these pretty plants are not to be mistaken for good.

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I am wondering why there are berries on some of the plants and not others. What is different about these plants? What do the berries indicate?

How are the low temperatures in the morning and the high temperatures in the afternoon affecting the wildlife?

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The temperature was 64º at 4:30, but it was 39º in the morning when I woke up

More and more trees with leaves changing color, while some trees are beginning to lose their leaves

Other plants, like the sumac that I investigated previously, are losing their leaves faster than the trees

Some of the branches are covered in berries?

The river is much stiller than the previous walk because the wind was not nearly as strong

The leaves that had fallen and coated the walkways have started to break down

The sounds from the crickets were not as long as weeks prior

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While entering my noticings, I realized I have been using crickets and cicadas interchangeably to describe the sounds I have been hearing on my walk. However, I do not know which, if any, are accurate to the bugs I have been saying the ones making chirping sounds in the late afternoon.

I researched my question and found that crickets, cicadas, and katydids are all chirping insects, specifically the males who are using the noise to alert females, and humans alike, to where they are in thick, tall grasses (Michigan Nature Association). Laurel Symes, an evolutionary biologist, explains that the different insects can be determined by the specific sound they make, as well as the time of day they are heard. Crickets are "sort of a high-pitched on recordings...what we hear at a distance is just this continuous background hum." They can be heard as late as October, but quiet as the months get colder. Crickets and their related species, katydids, are the ones chirping throughout the night. However, katydid activity peaks between mid-July through September (David Lowenstein, Michigan State University). Cicadas are most commonly thought to be the ones keeping people awake with their incessant chirping, but in reality are most noisy during the day. They are annual visitors to Michigan and emerge around late summer (Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan).

Given this evidence, it is probable that the chirping that I am hearing on my walks is from crickets. I can gather this because I am taking my walks in the early evening, which is when crickets begin to chirp. It is also the time of year when crickets are commonly heard (September-October).

I would like to see if I notice the chirping on my walks gets quieter as the year goes on. The weather has started to get colder, which should lessen the presence of all three of these insects as the temperature drops.

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I wonder what the 20º drop in temperature from last week does biologically to the trees and their leaves. Do they begin to change color faster because of that?

Are there any species of plant or tree that I walk by that are not native to Michigan? Did they come into the area as an invasive species? Brought in for control?

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The Huron River from a slightly different perspective 

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55º with a breeze

More trees with leaves changing color

Much more of a yellow, orange tint to the trees generally

Cicadas and crickets were louder this time (it was later in the day)

Huron River was colder than in weeks past (I swam in the river a few weeks ago when it was about 70º)

The leaves are beginning to fall at a more rapid pace than in past weeks

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There were some red leafy plants that were significantly more red than all of the plants around. The plant is called staghorn sumac. It is found to change color in late summer, turning vibrant reds and oranges. It is often at the base of trees in colonies, as it serves as “a nursery for trees” because it shades young trees, allowing them to grow stronger, while the plant appreciates the sun (Ann Arbor Observer). This plant is native to Michigan, so it is not surprising that I found this on my walk near the Huron River.

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What do cicadas do when it gets colder? Do they burrow?

When in the year will I stop hearing them on my walk

Does the size of a tree relate to the time it takes for leaves to turn red, yellow, or brown and fall off?

What biological differences and similarities trees have to other leafy plants that have color changing leaves?

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This is the Huron River, as compared to the Huron River in the last I noticed... 

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More leaves on the ground

A greater number of trees with red or orange leaves

Larger trees with more green leaves on branches

Cicadas chirping while walking near bushes

Green grass in grassy areas

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What trees I see that have falling leaves

I want to record them and see when certain trees fall

I am curious to see if other trees of the same species are also having their leaves fall

Measure this by taking pictures of the same trees next time and googling which trees they are

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When will the leaves start to fall?

Why do some leaves fall earlier than others?

Will the bugs stay out until the last warm day, or will they die off/ go away if we have one colder day?

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Birds chirping very loudly

Lots of flies and other bugs

The trees are still very green, some of the leaves have started to fall, but mostly there are full green trees

The water is moving a bit because there is some wind

Sort of dark water, but that is not unusual

The dirt path is pretty clear (refer back to leaves)