Thinking the real meaning of Perpetual Summer: Summer 2024 in Kanagawa, Japan

 

In terms of earth’s revolution, tomorrow is autumnal equinox. Fall is supposed to conclude its run-up and our closet would be ready for jackets. Not this year. Yup. According to Japan Meteorological Agency, the final week of September in Japan could finally see the end of SUMMER, with temperature typical for the end of August until just a couple of years ago … Has the earth at last reached the tipping point of warming? I don’t know. One thing is for sure. Now the bugs in the forest are in full swing.

When I started posting this blog, activities in summer could not be done without insect-repellent. If that’s in the forests of Yokohama, I sprayed Icardin from head to toe. If it was for somewhere in and around of Tanzawa Mountains, applying leech repellent in lower limbs was the “Must.” We’re doing it now as before, but the power of the chemicals has been too powerful to be true this year. During high summer 2024, I had impression we did not have much problem with bugs. Instead, we’re welcoming bugs’ bites now in the equinox week. I guess bugs and leeches were baked in the hottest summer. They could not be active.

Normally uber-aggressive Black hornet. 
It was busy devouring nectar from Quercus acutissima
 in September.

Not only annoying mosquitos, but also birds were very subdued during high summer this year. Once in a month, normally in the first weekend morning, we’re recording fixed point observations of wild birds in Niiharu Citizen Forest. We had only a limited result this summer. Yeah, birds are descendent of cold blood dinos. They cannot control their own body against fluctuations of outer temperature. If it is too hot, their entire body is boiling. In such days, they stay somewhere in shade quietly. I imagine birds’ hot summer days would be like sick days of flu for us … Poor creatures. Our September observations this year only recorded crows and Chinese hwameis. It must have been a harsh and very LONG summer for birds. Are they OK?

Too strong sunshine …

Ditto for vampire leeches. Basically, they do not like dry environments. The way Tanzawa area received rain showers during summer 2024 may have affected the condition the bugs lived. Dry spells for several days, then, suddenly flood-level pouring came. The leeches must have confused. When we carelessly stomped in the bushes of Yadorii Water Source Forest this summer, we could often escape the attack of vampires. The shrubs were dry, and so was the soil. Not kind for leeches. i.e. All small creatures in the forests of Kanagawa Prefecture had difficult times this summer. They may find a respite now when the nights become longer than days. And, look! There comes prey (= we) for blood sucking!

I won’t be surprised if a vampire is in this photo, but …

So, in September the topic of conversations among forest volunteers finally becomes insects’ bites. It’s still damned hot, but (we hope) it’s milder now than in August. We notice bugs flying or crawling around us. Now’s the time for insect repellent to be useful. “I’m trying this new shirt made of high-tech material.” “What?” “It’s sold with a jingle the fabric itself had insect repelling function.” “Is it effective?” “I don’t know. And the fabric is too thick to wear during August. I have not tried it until now.” “Oh …” “ You know, I’ve also tried your kind of shirt before.” “Oh, then …?” “I was bitten by a black fly, and had a swollen arm. The fabric was too thin. The bug could insert his needle without directly landing on my skin.” “Heck” … It went like this. An earnestly important topic now! But just a couple of years ago didn’t we engage in such chat a bit earlier, during August, perhaps?

Parapodisma tenryuensis

Munch, munch … striped flea beetle

Meanwhile, the demanding mowing continues for months by now. In the weekend of equinox, we still made a heap of cut grass in Niiharu. I recalled my question to Lu Xun and really wanted to ask him how they mowed wild grass in China, if Chinese grass was “trampled upon and mown down, until it dies and decays as long as it lived it.” (My post on June 23, 2004) In fortnight, we will definitely feel the night is longer. Yet the wild grass is growing. Strange temperature …

Oh, so vigorous wild grass …

The Red Spider Lily is almost buried
in the other wild grass this weekend.
This is supposed to be the season of their one-man show …
 (; my post on September 29, 2023).

Summer Darter this weekend.
Yup, they fly around till the very late autumn for sure.
But they can be observed more commonly during summer.

A scene during a short break of mowing.

Even Japanese walnuts are still green.
They are supposed to be in harvest time!

There is also fun. Lots of beautiful butterflies are busy now recovering the lost opportunity. They stop wherever they find nectar and stay there longer. We can admire them with plenty of time, thinking if they are all right in these hotter September days. Summer is ending. We’re also exhausted …

Hestina assimilis is busy drinking from a sweat-drenched shirt
 from one of the seniors of Niiharu Lovers.
It needed salt, we guessed.
By the way, this butterfly is registered as
 an Invasive Alien Species in Japan.
 Basically, it is common in Southeast Asia and Continental East Asia.
 It suddenly appeared in Saitama Prefecture in 1995.
 In 2015 there is a record it was flying at the summit of Mt. Fuji.
 Experts are suspecting somebody
intentionally released the original brought from overseas.
Warming climate of Japanese megalopolis encouraged it to prosper.
This year, it was SOOOOOOOO ubiquitous in Yokohama.
Its lifestyle is like endemic Hestina persimilis japonica.
People are worrying it could compete ecologically
 and win over the natives.

A Straight swift on flowers of garlic chives

Beautiful Japanese oakblue

Nordstromia japonica is sleeping in the shade.

If you find a problem in the greenery of north-half of Yokohama, please make a contact with

Office for the Park Greeneries in the North
北部公園緑地事務所
Yokohama Municipal Government Green Environment Bureau
横浜市みどり環境局

Phone：045-353-1166
FAX：045-352-3086
mk-hokubukoen@city.yokohama.jp