‍ ‍ Wintering waterfowl are starting to show up in SE New York. Some are headed for points south while others will make this their winter home.

‍ ‍ Storm King Mountain lives up to its name…..

‍ ‍ Our first Golden eagle along with many Red-tailed hawks, Bald eagles, and a Peregrine kept us entertained on Bear Mountain today.

‍ ‍ I joined a nice number of sparrows and several flocks of Rusty blackbirds as I scouted out some birding hot spots in Montgomery, NY.

‍ ‍ Spent the afternoon photographing some of our resident backyard birds rather than fighting the crowds of folks coming into the Hudson Valley for view the spectacular fall foliage.

‍ ‍ On our second day of an all too brief trip out to Oregon we visited Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge and found some western specialties including a “life-bird”.

While my son and I were fortunate enough to visit my Granddaughter at Oregon State University in Corvallis, we made time for the three of us and a friend of hers to visit several wonderful spots for viewing nature at its best.

The Yellow-rumped warblers are one of the last warblers to begin their migratory trek south in North America. Today, I found a good number of them on their way, stopping off to grab a bite at Iona Island.

With an impending nor’easter on the horizon, we fear for what the results may be concerning our beautiful fall foliage and the migration of our feathered friends heading south.

The beauty of the changing foliage was tempered by a sad sighting of a deceased Black Bear along the roadside on Mine Road.

In Autumn, many birds are moving south for the winter. It is a mystery as to why some but all Blue Jays from the same area migrate and others do not.

As the colder shorter days result in fewer and fewer insects, birds which feed on them must seek out alternative food sources or follow the insects populations south.

Autumn is bringing us few migrating birds, changing leaf colors, and an ever-increasing number of the invasive lanternflies!

While other dragonflies are preparing to leave the area by migrating south, Autumn meadowhawks are just beginning their mating and breeding season.