Last Broods

Daylight hours are getting shorter.  Leaves are dusky and some isolated ones are turning.  Apples and grapes are ripe and mornings are a bit cooler and crisp.  Yes, Autumn is coming.  And with it we are seeing the last broods of our birds.  There may be a few lingering late fledglings, but for the most part, the breeding season is over.

Our woods are full of birds as we are beginning to see some of the early migrating birds join our summer birds and year-'round birds.  Many of them have muted colors compared to their brilliance during the Spring migration.

This little Pileated Woodpecker (on the right) will soon be feeding herself.

 The little Red-bellied Woodpecker (left) has no red at all.

It blends in perfectly with the tree bark.

 In time, the gray head will get red.  As well as a bit of red on the lower belly.

Both of these birds stay with us all winter.  We will see them come to our suet feeders.  But we won't delight in seeing any fledglings for quite a while.  And that's all right.  We will appreciate them all the more when nesting season resumes.

Thank goodness for birds and football to take our minds off politics.  Although I have to mute the sound during football.  The announcers seem to think I care what they think about the flag and the National Anthem.  Jeez!  That very flag stands for our freedom; to salute or not salute, to pledge or not to pledge, to stand or not to stand.  Enough already.  (Yes, I know many of you disagree.  My own husband thinks it's an inappropriate way to make a point.  But if the media would simply leave the issue alone, it would become a non-issue very quickly.  Stop stoking the fire if you want it to die out.)

But...how 'bout them Packers?