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Welcome to our monthly celebration of nature and photography! We hope you enjoy this issue's selection of jokes, trivia, photos and news.

WHAT'S THIS?


Here's another little puzzle to solve. What do you think this close-up is?

You'll find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

MONTHLY PAGE

As the seasons change and we head towards winter, it's time to
start making some bird food such as Chickadee Pudding, Bark Butter or
a Birdseed Wreath. We have recipes, ideas and tips on this month's
featured page: Recipes and Food.

CONTRIBUTED BY...
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W.C. Durnil of Chino Valley, Arizona, captured this winter scene taken near Flagstaff, AZ.		Lee Anne Stark of Ontario spotted an interesting group of mushrooms.
Albertina Pianarosa of Ottawa, Ontario, had this downy visit the garden.		This image of a Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae, was sent to us from Red Gate Farm in Texas.
Susan Asis Kalman from Allegany, NY, snapped this very cute Eastern Cottontail.		This very pretty Orange-fringed Orchid comes to us from Margaret Spencer of Roane County, WV.
Many thanks to W.C. Durnil, Lee Anne, Albertina, Susan, Margaret and our friends at Red Gate Farm. What great photographs! If you have a nature image for this section, please let us know.

WANDERING IMAGE


While wandering around and exploring the delightful Hawaiian island of
Maui, it was hard to miss this strange but truly magnificent
Banyan Tree. The Banyan is a fig tree and the unusual things
that are hanging down from the branches are aerial roots.

CAPTION THIS

What do you think would be a great caption for these ants?


Here's a couple of ideas:

"Fancy meeting you! Have you heard the latest?"
"Hey! I was here first!"

If this month's photo inspires you, please send us your caption in an e-mail.

SNIPPETS IN NATURE


While visiting Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, Margaret Straley of
Spencer in Roane County, WV, spotted this exquisite Yellow Lady's Slipper Orchid.

BEHIND THE NAME


Large Wintergreen, Pyrola asarifolia, is a lovely perennial native to western North America.
It has several common names including Pink Wintergreen, Bog Wintergreen and
Liverleaf Wintergreen, so the scientific name is very handy in distinguishing
the plant from others. Although we associate wintergreen with a mint taste, in reality,
this wintergreen isn't minty - the name refers to the fact that it is green throughout the winter.

The genus name, Pyrola, comes from the Latin pyrus, which means "a pear" in reference
to its pear-shaped leaves. The species name, asarifolia, comes from two Latin words: asarum (ginger) and folium (leaf) as the leaves also apparently resemble the leaves of Wild Ginger.

JOKE OF THE MONTH

__A pair of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs really enjoyed getting away for quiet weekends. The couple loved to relax in their holiday home, but were frequently disturbed by visits from other campers. __They soon devised a plan to give them the privacy that they wanted. Now whenever they go away, they place a sign outside: Insurance agent. Ask about our term-life package.

"That really works dear. No one has bothered us all week."

NOTES, NEWS AND TIPS

Monthly Selections

Here are this month's choices:
Bird - Mute Swan  | Wildflower - Cascade Penstemon  | Bug - Bluebottle Fly

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Please click on the images to visit the pages.

Page Completed We were very fortunate during September to received the last four images for our state and provincial mammal page. Have a look at the marvellous mammals by clicking here. A Little Reminder

Many birds enjoy the fruits on the shrubs and the trees during the fall,
but during the cold winter months these have long gone.

Don't forget at this time of the year to start saving a few bunches of berries for the freezer.
Mountain Ash berries are really good. When the winter arrives, put some out daily for the birds

Tips and Ideas

Many birds love to have a peanut in the shell to enjoy, so try putting two or three out everyday.
This Spotted Towhee was really happy to get the peanuts first.

New Pages at the Inn

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington In our latest page of Special Places in the Natural World, we visit Hurricane Ridge. Although the weather can be a bit tricky, as its name suggests, it is still an inspiring destination for nature lovers.

Picture of the Week   Be sure to drop by the Inn every week to see the latest Picture of the Week.  You can also do so by clicking on the image to the left or by clicking here.

Past Issues If you want to see any of the past issues of Whispers, they are available here.

CELEBRATING NATURE

National Wildlife Refuge Week is celebrated from October 12-18 in
the United States. There are hundreds of important wildlife refuges and

all play valuable roles in the lives of wildlife.

DID YOU KNOW....

STATE AND PROVINCIAL EMBLEMS


The Lilac Bush, Syringa vulgaris, was designated the official state bush of New York state in 2006.

TRIVIA ANSWER


North American First Nations used the dried powder of old puffballs as a type of astringent.

ANSWER TO WHAT'S THIS?

Thanks for joining us this month! We hope you enjoyed this issue of Whispers. We invite your comments and ideas - just drop us an e-mail. See you next month!

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