“If it’s November, those must be red-tails.”

So begins the essay, “On a Wing and an Updraft: Hawk Migration, Connecticut” found in A Journey for All Seasons, written by John Kinch and published by The Nature
Conservancy, 2000.

This piece is all about bird migration, an event that takes place every fall and then every spring in the life of many bird species.

The reason we don’t typically see the same birds year round at our homes is …

Part 2 of Menagerie features the interesting names given to large groups of animals other than birds. I’m betting you’ll find some words you’ve never heard before in this
bunch, as well as the use of some words that have other meanings in the English language!

C – A Cloud of Grasshoppers. This term is used for many types of insects including grasshoppers. Actually grasshoppers rarely swarm unless disturbed in areas where there are large
numbers.

…

The leaf pile has been scattered by the wind.
So many leaves
 – brown, red, orange, tan, yellow –

Leaves, like the days of my life, flutter around me.

Memories of people, places, pets –
are bittersweet, loving, heartbreaking.
 
A time of looking back – regretting, laughing, reliving.
A time of feeling cool in the deep shade, warm in the sun, chilled in the north breeze.

…

This blessed Thanksgiving day holiday I am celebrating with family. I hope you are having a wonderful celebration, too.

Whether you are with family or friends, or having a solitary day, I hope that you will take a minute to step outside and celebrate Nature.

Feel the sun and wind upon your face.
Smell the crisp air – and the hint of a wood fire.
See the blue sky and the last colorful leaves fluttering to the earth.
…

Words are fascinating.

Today, take a minute to explore some of the interesting terms used for groups of birds. I’ve found a term for nearly every letter of the alphabet. I’m betting you’ve never heard some of these
before! 
 
Bevy of Quail – first used in 1486, has its roots in bevee – a group of drinking companions (Anglo-French)

Chime of Wrens – gregarious birds with a ringing, cascading song

Dissimulation – …

“The mood in which you set out on a spring or autumn ramble or a sturdy winter walk, and your greedy feet have to be restrained from devouring the distances too fast, is
the mood in which your best thoughts and impulses come to you, or in which you might embark on any noble and heroic enterprise. Life is sweet in such moods, the universe is complete, and there
is no failure or imperfection anywhere.”
 – John …

When the leaves fall from the trees, something is often left behind on tree branches. Now is the time of year when we begin to see the places where many creatures
live. It’s a great time of the year to point these animals shelters out to young nature lovers while you are walking with them on beautiful fall afternoons.

Since the leaves have gone into full drop mode, I’ve noticed bird nests at all heights in trees and bushes around our property. Some birds …

We are now moving through autumn full speed ahead. Today’s post features more of what’s happening during this season, from the Ecological Calendar. Interesting stuff!

BeeBall. When nectar availability diminishes in the fall, worker bees push the male drones from the hive to reduce honey consumption. Then, once the temperature reaches 57 degrees
F., the remaining bees make a tight ball around the brood to keep it at 93 degrees F. during colder months.

TactfulTortoise. The Mojave desert tortoise can …

We are nearly two-thirds through with our fall season. Color still remains; yellows, oranges, rust and bits of evergreen. Today, focus on three poets and their November
thoughts.

“Autumn Evening in the Mountains”

After rain the empty mountain
stands autumnal in the evening,
Moonlight falls among the pines
And lays across the quiet streams.
Bamboos whisper of days long past,
Lotus-leaves yield before a sudden wind, …

Ahh, glorious fall.
Face toward the mid-morning sun. Temp in the high 40s.
Leaves, sumptuous shades of red, rust and orange, flutter
like crisp butterflies.