Fall birds

By CONNIE MERTZ

Autumn not only transforms the leaves to a brilliance unlike any other time of year, but there's a definite change in birdsong. The warblers and other migrating songbirds have all but gone. Left are a few stranglers - the grackles and blackbirds are flocking in great numbers waiting for the opportune moment to leave their summer breeding grounds. A towee and an occasional catbird are heard from the brambles, but as each fall day passes, more of our summer birds are disappearing from our backyards and woodlands.

I like the change. Bluejays have now come out of their summer seclusion making a nuisance of themselves. I hear pileated woodpeckers, probably the brood that fledged nearby earlier in the summer. Even a red-headed woodpecker was evident by its call. What I enjoy most are the finches. I love to walk or stand watch near a field of sunflowers and watch them flit amid the golden giant blossoms. In the afternoon sun, they radiant with yellow. Their sweet chirps lure me every time to focus on them rather than watch for doves. (After all, I am there to hunt doves.) Chickadees are also changing their tunes, and I love to admire a flock of them in the woodlands. Often, they are joined by titmice, downy woodpeckers and juncos.

While others may appreciate the honking of geese overhead, I like the simpler signs of the season. Soon it will be time to fill the bird feeder with sunflowers so I can experience them up close and personal. For now, I will just enjoy their birdsong as I spend more and more time outdoors appreciating the beauty of the season.