Merry Samhain!

A little Raven magick to welcome the "dark half" of the year!

Return of the Winter Birds

Snow Bunting above and American Tree Sparrow below

October Sunset

An Ephemeral Life

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.  Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow.  Let reality be reality.  Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." ~ Lao Tzu

Bonaparte's Gulls Feeding Frenzy

"We like to be out in Nature so much because it has no opinion about us." ~ Friederich Nietzsche

Sanderling

A Sanderling trickling through western New York late in the Fall shorebird migration season.

Lincoln's Sparrow

This Lincoln's Sparrow is on the move late in the migration season and gave me one last look until they come back through again in the Spring.  Most of them breed in Canada and spend the winter in the southern United States and some as far south as Mexico and Central America.  Safe travels little one!

Bald Eagle

Common Terns

Atlantic Brant

I was lucky enough to see an uncommon visitor along Lake Erie today.  The last time I saw a Brant in Dunkirk was in 2012.

Rusty Blackbird

The Rusty Blackbird is listed as a species in "steep decline" and they are quickly disappearing.  Scientists don't know exactly why, but it was recently discovered that many are plagued by high mercury contamination, especially in the northeastern section of North America.  This fact and habitat destruction are likely a big part of the problem.

Clouds over Lake Erie Tonight

Dunlin

Dunlins are shorebirds that regularly pass through the area on migration during the Fall.

Double-crested Cormorant

Those beautiful aquamarine eyes!!!

Bonaparte's Gull

Successful fishing for minnows in the Dunkirk Harbor this morning.

Pine Siskin

The tiny nomadic Pine Siskins are on their way back from breeding in the far north.  We've had a small flock at the backyard feeders and bird baths for the past week.

Orange-crowned Warblers

October Sky

Remnants of the outer bands of Hurricane Michael visible at sunset over Lake Erie this evening.

Autumn's Art

Yellow-rumped Warblers

More Shorebird Migration

Another Black-bellied Plover (above) and Greater Yellowlegs (below) pause for a migration break along the Lake Erie shore.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Kinglet season is here!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (above) and Golden Crowned Kinglet (below)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

This juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird showed up at our feeders today.  This is late in the season for western New York and I believe the latest we've ever had one in our yard.