Looking out from the Raptor’s Roost at the cabin it was obvious that the white pines were heavy with cones. I counted the cones visible from where I sat and tallied over 3,000 cones on seven trees. That’s a lot of cones. Yes, I’m a bit OCD when numbers are present. Interestingly the jack pines also had a lot of cones, but not in comparison to the white pines. Susan took a walk at a site off Vermilion Road and saw that the red pines were also heavy with cones.
The cone crop can be an indicator of what food crop is available for winter finches and other irruptive species. Currently there have been a tremendous number of Red-breasted Nuthatches. Pine Siskins have also been passing by in large numbers. There have been a small number of crossbills, mostly Red Crossbills. Later, in November the movement of these irruptive species will become clear.
But for now we will revel in the white pine cone crop, if for nothing else than how beautiful the trees and cones are.
Perhaps something on hawk migration tomorrow.
Michael's Place 
I live on a circular street with only 23 houses that were all built 1950-53. Before that, this was an orchard. So the trees are old. Among them is a spruce on my property. The number and size of the cones this year is amazing! I’m sure it’s because of the weather: wet and hot.
The crabapple I planted around 2000 was smaller than me but now is tall, and it too has so much fruit. More than I’ve ever seen.
The neighbor across the street has an apple tree, and again the number of apples on it is more than any other year.
This is a Fruit Year for sure, whether real human-eaten fruit or tree fruit.
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