The days are shortening and the mornings have a fall-like chill in the air. An early morning walk can happen at 7AM rather than 5:30 AM...much more to my liking. Huron Natural Area is close to home. Finally the mosquitoes are past their peak and are not bothersome at all early in the day. It is possible to walk the wooded trails and along the beaver pond in comfort.
The vegetation is thick on the forest floor and it is difficult to detect any creatures other than the odd bold chipmunk or squirrel. Walking toward the meadow and into the rising sun, I start to hear the twitter of birds in the many hawthorn bushes and pine trees at the edge of the clearing.
The Chickadee sits on a branch preening its feathers and looking into the light. I seldom see these birds resting quietly. When I downloaded the picture I noticed an Indigo Bunting roosting in the branch in the upper right corner.
Dozens of Kingbirds are in a tree, some eating berries and others starting their aerial swoops for flying insects. At least four Northern Flickers are in the same area. These larger than average groupings of birds do show that fall is just around the corner.
By 8AM the chatter and activity is increasing noticeably. A pair of wrens flit in the branches and sparrows, warblers and various flycatchers start their daily search for food. And food is plentiful after the wet summer.It is hard to go on to work on mornings like this. I love this time of year!
Ruth, thank you for taking me along on your walk and letting me see the birds. I am enjoying my backyard visitors, but miss getting out on the trails. Thanks too for your well-wishes, I am feeling a little stronger each day.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Ruth. Fall is my favorite time of year--although it's not quite fall. Your descriptions resonate.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos--especially of the forest floor.
Although I hate to see summer come to an end, this too is my favorite time of year.
ReplyDeleteYour blogs are always good!
your cuz
Your pictures of your walk are very nice, I like to walk in the woods you always seem to be surprised at what shows up.
ReplyDeleteI've deffinitely seen flocking, especially along the freeways. Autumn is coming- hurray!
ReplyDeleteOooooh. That picture of the forest trail is gorgeous and makes me feel happy!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate being able to share your walk in such a pretty setting.
ReplyDeleteHey, I just saw the Eastern Kingbird too and I really like early morning nature walks.
ReplyDeleteWonderful place to take a walk Ruth. I wish our mosquitoes were passed, but they are at their worst right now so its Deet or long pants and sleeves... Michelle
ReplyDeleteWonderful morning walk and great sightings! We're noticing it here as well that autumn is coming closer - a beautiful time of the year.
ReplyDeleteLovely shots, the forest floor with the sunlight at the end is gorgeous. Nice pics of the birds. I appreciate the difficulty of getting a shot of a chickadee. For a tiny little bird it has bounds of energy. When you are searching for birds they are one you can count on to make an appearance. Cute little fellows.
ReplyDeleteSounds like I'd better take some time to start watching for southward migrants! I'm already missing some of the birdsongs that have been with us all summer (but still seeing and hearing a few indigo buntings yet). I love that you had one in the background of your chickadee photo!
ReplyDeleteRuth, you wrote "The days are shortening and the mornings have a fall-like chill in the air. An early morning walk can happen at 7AM rather than 5:30 AM...much more to my liking." I just wanted to mention that I have been noticing the same here in California; and I feel the same way about an early morning walk (more like 7 or 8 a.m. around here). That was definitely a relaxing walk, and I thoroughly enjoyed going with you (virtually). I've also noticed lately that one can see the moon early in the mornings or even in the afternoons before sunset. Is that another sign of fall coming?
ReplyDeleteThank you to all who went on the walk with me in cyberspace. It has been lovely to have clear skies and cool nights. Mary, I don't know why the moon is sometimes visible in the day, but it has been so lately around here.
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