There is a wisp of autumn in the air, with cool mornings and less daylight. Celestial events quieted after the peak of the Perseid meteor shower this past weekend, though they may be seen through Aug. 24. Our once-in-a-blue-moon second full moon of the month rises on Aug. 30.
Signs of late summer in the plant communities have come in the trumpet-shaped blooms of rosy-pink belladonna lilies on their plain brown stems. These South African natives subsist on winter rain stored in their softball-sized bulbs. Bay trees are sporting green and yellow pods encasing their hard-shelled nuts that will turn purple by September.
In the animal community, late summer is heralded by the bugling of tule elk, which are beginning their rut, or breeding season. Similar to northern elephant seals, tule elk have a dominance hierarchy in which males are able to mate by dominating other males. Sounds such as the bugle of an elk or the snort of the elephant seal are often enough to discourage other males from attempting to get near female groups known as harems. Battling with antlers also helps males establish their dominance and defend their harems. The rut will last till October; then males and females will spend the rest of the year in separate groups.