TRANSITIONS

October on Lake Erie’s north shore brings alternating stretches of bright days and dull days. Through it all, the creatures in the area gather together; each for their own reasons. Last week, huge murders of crows filled the skies over my house. I’ll miss them and their loud raucus calls that rang all summer long over the fields.

Another congregation we saw was the annual arrival of clusters (official term for ladybugs) of Asian ladybugs. They came in their largest number a while ago, covering the breakwall parapet and the rocks in the garden. I missed getting a photo of them but even at their most abundant, we didn’t get them like they can in some parts of the continent, like in this video of a town in Colorado. It has to be seen to be believed!


I tried to find information on why the beetles do this. Consensus is that they’re looking for a place to ball up to hibernate for winter. Some people said suggested it was perhaps a ginormous autumnal love-in. I tend to think it’s the former, but I suppose romance can’t be entirely ruled out. Does anyone know?



Then there are the critters that don’t truly migrate, like this noisy solitary gull, perched on the groyne rocks at tiny Mersea Beach. He’ll stick around until the lake freezes up, forcing him and his brethren to move on to find open water. So everyone has a plan.





Even the fallen leaves are restless, crossing the road near my house as if they, too had purpose on the other side. All must hurry (including me) to finish up their autumn business as the days advance, the clocks retreat.

And now it is November.