Merry Samhain!

I took this lovely Garden Spider's photo last week but saved it for today.

Welcome to the "dark half" of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Dunlins

Dunlin Sandpipers taking a dinner break on their migration journey south.  They spent the summer on the arctic tundra and are most likely headed for the Atlantic coast.

Dark-eyed Junco

Lake Erie Cloudscape

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch molting into winter plumage.

Autumn Sunrise

Northern Mockingbird

One of our neighborhood Mockingbirds perched on a telephone cable along the road this afternoon.

Migrating Red Admiral Butterfly

The Red Admiral Butterfly winters in the Gulf States of the southern United States.  This guy has a long way to go!

Golden-crowned Kinglet

I could watch these friendly little acrobats all day long.

Lake Erie in the Afternoon Sun

White-crowned Sparrow

He posed so nicely for me on the giant wild rosebush in our yard.

Downy Woodpecker

Male Downy Woodpecker in the late afternoon sunlight.

Suspended in the Cold

A Monarch Butterfly suspended in the early morning cold.

Cloudy Auroras

Twilight

Savannah Sparrows

Monarch Butterfly

Even though I didn't see very many Monarchs in the area this year, I do believe this is the latest I've ever seen one.  

Gray Catbird

Wooly Bear Caterpillar

A wide center stripe on a Wooly Bear Caterpillar in autumn is supposed to predict a mild winter.  Let's hope this holds true!

Red-breasted Nuthatches

The Red-breasted Nuthatches are returning for the winter.  Welcome back guys!

Autumn Rose

This yellow rose is sure to be one of the last roses of the season in my garden.

As the Fog Settles In