Tuning in with the moon

By Thelma Dalmas
Published: October 14, 2008

Last night, I was out on the deck and heard something that could have been birds in flight. I dashed back in the house, grabbed the binoculars and tried to spot any movements against the moon. I could see dark, flitting shapes silhouetted in the bright moon light, but wasn’t actually able to identify anything and the sounds were too diffuse to be of much use.

However, the full moon was simply spectacular. I began to wonder if this were indeed the harvest moon often mentioned in books, so I devoted the next few hours to gathering information about the names of the moon throughout the year. As it turns out, the full moon of October is the Hunter’s Moon, so named because the light is bright enough to be useful to hunters.

I also learned that naming the full moons is fairly common in many cultures. In fact, quite a few of these designations are somewhat similar, even though the people who developed the names have very different histories. Both in medieval England and among many North American Native tribes, the full moon of January was called the Wolf Moon because this was the season when those animals could be heard howling.

February brings the Hunger Moon since this is the month when the weather is too harsh for successful foraging and most of last summer’s stored food supplies have been depleted. March has many designations, but I think that my favorite is the Crow Moon. The noisy crows announce the coming end of winter and the beginning of a new season.

The April full moon almost always has some connection to spring. The Native Americans in our area called this the Fish Moon in reference to the shad swimming upstream to spawn. In England, it is known as the Flower Moon. May brings the Planting Moon, and June is the Strawberry Moon, named for the delicious red fruits that are ripening.

The hot days of summer feature the Buck Moon in July, marking the time when the new antlers on the deer begin to show, and the Dog-Days Moon comes in August. September is the Harvest Moon, allowing enough light for farmers to remain in the fields long after dark. About four weeks from now, if you take a look at the night sky, you will see the Frosty Moon of November and the year will end with December’s Cold Moon.

Irrespective of what it’s called, a full moon on a clear night is a beautiful sight. My plan for the next 11 months is to go out, take a look, and greet each new appearance by name. I may look sort of strange all bundled up in my warmest clothes as I say hello to the Hunger Moon, but I bet that the moon will be lovely.

News and Notes
On Oct. 11, I saw a red-breasted nuthatch in the yard. Last year, this species staged a major irruption to the south, and maybe this coming winter will bring a return. I’ve also had reports of large flocks of grackles moving through our area. I counted more than 200 at our house on Oct. 12, but fortunately they did not visit the feeders.