The Long Shadows of Autumn

When the weather turns colder and the shadows grow longer; it's your truest most reliable "friends" that get you through the long winter ahead.

Sure it's nice to see the fair-weather migrants that fly in and out of our lives when the time is right for them. Their flashy-splashy colors and entertaining antics provide a great distraction from the mundane, but their appearance is only fleeting and un-enduring. Give me an old-fashioned, long-term, (you know what you're getting) "usual" visitor any day. These are the steadfast survivors that stick with you when the going is toughest and when the weather turns foulest; they are always there for you.

In my area of the great Midwest, these true "friends" include; the Mourning dove, House Finch, Northern cardinal, Black-capped chickadee, White-breasted nuthatch, Downy woodpecker, Dark-eyed junco and the (boo...hiss) dreaded House Sparrow. These faithful seed eating, wintertime squatters are the ones to provide the necessary drama that will have to suffice until the days get longer again, and the sun decides to make more than a fleeting daily appearance. They make it "fun" to scoop the seeds and put out the suet each time I do it...they are very appreciative too.

There's a great debate that always springs up each winter about feeding Vs. not. Some folks believe that if you provide feed that it somehow upsets the internal natural balance of birds, causing them to do crazy and "un-natural" things with their eating habits. Maybe they don't fly south to a warmer clime, or perhaps they take extra long showers, watch too much TV, or have unprotected sex. That, my faithful readers is all B.S. What feeding the birds into the fall and (heaven forbid) all winter long does is the following: provides the "feed-er" with great natural theatre, and those lucky birds who eat things (and that's all of them folks) with easy, tasty, and nutritious food. So, it's a "good" thing to do...keep it up!

So, I went again to my new favorite area of the BIG City of Milwaukee; Havenwoods. Things are changing there, just like the season. I saw my first actual coyote on one of the zillion paths that crisscross the State forest land. That was extremely cool. I missed the photo op while I was staring, so you'll just have to believe me. The grasses are brown and the trees mostly leafless, but there are plenty of interesting things left to discover if you pay attention. The ponds are low, but the muskrats are still happy enough. The Whitetail deer are also running the grounds with a grin knowing that they cannot be hunted on the park lands. Trees that contain dangling seeds and berries are attracting plenty of fall and winter avian friends which are planning to stay a while. Milk weed, thistle and Compass plants offer a variety of tasty tidbits for those birds that are just fine with the extended period of white that is yet to cover the landscape. The views from the rolling hills are more unobstructed than they'll ever appear in the summer, offering another perspective of the vastness of the Havenwoods area. In other words, plan to re-visit those areas you frequent in the "nicer" weather, to take full advantage of the change of seasons.

So, my "friendly" advice is to take time to a stroll outdoors this fall and visit with some of your area's true "friends." Plus, make sure you put out an extra scoop of your seeds as a welcome (back) gift...they'll thank you for it by "being there" for you.