Central Ohio NatureAutumn’s Moment
Posted on October 17, 2022
Autumn more than any other season calls us to stop and be in the moment, to appreciate, and to marvel.
Spring draws us into a world of becoming and expectation, “What’s around the next corner?”.
As years go by, the ever shorter summer calls us to busy ourselves doing things we will regret if we don’t.
Once we escape the holidays, winter asks us to look within and reflect on all that has happened, our future dreams, to count that which is most worthy.
In autumn, the forever green of midsummer is gone as dry brightly colored leaves let go of cold wind-blown branches, and with rapidly descending angled flight find the ground then fly up only to settle again, then with small hollow resonate voices, tumble, scratch, and claw their way across streets pierced by the autumn sun.
Stopping along the “October” river stills our mind. We look then listen, all too aware that the gold and red of once green leaves won’t be the same tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by.
Fall Warbler Migration
Posted on October 1, 2022
With a tradition of spending time hiking in the late summer and early autumn woods it’s not like we haven’t noticed fall migrating warblers in past years, but this is the first year we’ve made a concerted effort to see just how many we can spot as they move through our area making central Ohio home for just a few days as they head south to distant places in the Caribbean or south America. As always a few eluded the camera lens.
It may have been the Redstarts and Black and White Warblers at our Michigan campsite in late August that got us thinking that maybe it would be worth it to pay closer attention to fall migration this year.
There are several challenges to observing fall warblers; the trees still have most of their leaves providing many hiding places, the birds don’t call, and the male’s colorful breeding plumage is muted, or in some cases doesn’t even resemble that of spring, so identifying birds can be very difficult.
Even though the late summer wildflowers and the hint of red, yellow and gold in the leaves high overhead are beautiful, it’s still a time of year that it feels like nature is closing up shop. As they filter through the trees on their way south the warblers say, “not yet” and wake us to yet more of nature’s wonder.
Central Ohio Nature 