Fall Color Wednesday

It's finally starting to feel like fall. Wouldn't you agree? I have the growing desire to wrap up with a mug of warm cider or pull on my boots and wander through an orchard with a bucket of freshly-picked Michigan apples. The multitude of colors popping on trees everywhere is certainly helping autumn settle in, with our Michigan Audubon Society leaf watchers reporting a 25% average change.

Petoskey (Emmet County): Colors are approaching full peak here, especially the maples! Some trees are leaf-less already. Aspens and beeches are yellow. The sumac is deep red most places. There are lots of geese flying around, and turkeys are wandering into roadways. A few deer are seen foraging amongst the falling leaves.

Manistee County: Color is about 15-20% along the lakeshore in Manistee County and up to 30% inland.

Wexford County: 20% of trees along US-131 south of Cadillac at this time are showing color.

Ludington (Mason County): 30% of trees are showing color with purples, reds and oranges but not much yellow. It has been windy, and some of the leaves are already being blown away.

Newaygo County: The maple, sassafras and poplar trees are doing well with around 50% of color. Oaks are only at 10% of their color.

Muskegon County: The area is still more than 95% green. Of the approximately 10% of deciduous leaves that have turned, colors are about 60% yellow, 30% orange and 10% red.

Clinton County: Along I-96, trees appear to be approaching 50% color, mostly pale yellows.

Barry County: About 10% color is showing, mostly yellow undertones. Around marshes and swamps, there are more browns/oranges.

Eaton County: Color less than 10% with some pockets showing yellow undertones.

Ingham County: Color less than 10%, although in the town of Mason, many of the street-side maples were showing oranges/yellows.

Van Buren County: The I-94/I-196 corner of Van Buren County is still pretty green. The soft maples have a spattering of color.

Calhoun County: Colors are around 20%. Most of the trees are oaks in this area and aren't showing colors yet. There were about 1,000 sandhill cranes that roosted over the weekend at the sanctuary.

Jackson County: 35% of trees - mostly maples, sumac, button bush, dogwoods, and cherry – are showing color. There were 318 sandhill cranes that came in to roost at the Haehnle Sanctuary on Sunday evening.

WMTA's weekly reports are also available on WTMA.org in All Things Autumn and on the Fall Color Hotline: 800-442-2084 x. 304.

High five,

-Shannon