Loving the Woods: Winston Woods in August

Earlier this summer, I had a love/hate relationship with Winston Woods. Bolingbrook had so much rain in June that the paths were muddy—some had turned into streams. In July, the mosquitoes proliferated. Late in August, though, I went back to Winston Woods and learned to just love it again.

This time, I was accompanied not only by my husband Ed, but also by grandsons. That, of course, increased my enjoyment. I often go to the woods primarily looking for wildflowers. Ed’s main concern was to avoid making contact with poison ivy. Yes, this has been a good year for that itch-producing plant—avoid touching anything with clusters of three leaves, just in case it might be poison ivy or poison oak. The boys had different interests, however.

As Jason, the younger boy, went on ahead, Lucas stopped to watch a daddy long legs crawl across the path and under a leaf, where it tried to hide. When I leaned down to see it, it skittered away.

On this hot muggy day, there was little breeze through the trees. The boys, full of energy, headed up the hill, arriving at the top well ahead of their drooping grandparents. We caught up with them when they stopped to investigate something.

“What have you found?” I asked.

“Grasshopper,” the boys said.

I stooped down for a closer look. “Two grasshoppers,” I said, but they already knew that. “Probably mating,” one of the boys said.
“Looks that way,” was my response, as I turned my camera on the pair.

Most species of grasshoppers have their own characteristic courtship songs, produced by rubbing the lower back legs on the back wings. We didn’t hear their music—we came on the scene too late. Nor did we see any courtship activities, such as the male exhibiting his repertoire of poses or waving his wings. Actual mating generally takes from 45 minutes to a full day, so I had more than enough time to focus my camera and take a couple photos. Not being an expert on grasshoppers, I didn’t (and still don’t) know which of the over 10,000 species of grasshopper we were examining, but most likely the male is dead by now because the males usually die soon after mating. Most females, however, live until the weather turns cool and they can no longer lay eggs.

These two grasshoppers, like others of their kind, grew from eggs laid in the ground last summer or fall. Although they were born looking pretty much like adults, they shed their skin several times as they grew (termed “incomplete metamorphosis”). They probably did not have wings until they reached adulthood. The wings of the grasshoppers we saw in flight were larger than I remembered from my grasshopper-filled childhood in Iowa.

Grasshoppers are most often found in grasslands and prairies. Farmers abhor an over-abundance of grasshoppers, because they can consume a lot of plants. The pair we saw at Winston Woods was at the very edge of the woods, not actually in it. Their coloration camouflages them and helps protect them from such predators as snakes, wasps, toads and birds.

As the boys continued exploring, they found two kinds of animal tracks on the hill top. The first tracks they spotted were made by a deer. I have seen deer along the DuPage River Greenway, but hadn’t seen evidence of them in Winston Woods before. While following the deer tracks, the boys spotted a different kind of footprint, footprints that appear to have been made by a coyote. I wasn’t too surprised, as I have seen coyotes in Bolingbrook. The tracks are a reminder to be careful about letting cats and small dogs run freely. To coyotes, small animals all look like meals.

I always enjoy walking in the woods or other natural settings with children and youth. When I do, I set aside most of my priorities and enjoy sharing their interests. I recommend that you do the same sometime soon.

NOTE 1: I apologize that this post did not go up in August. I had password problems, and several things going on at home. I hope you still enjoy reading it.

NOTE 2: To explore Winston Woods, go north on Winston Drive (which is just west of IL-53 off Boughton Road) and park in the lot across from Wood View School. The path into the woods is just east of the parking lot.

© Wilda Morris