Heading South

Shortening days signal the impending arrival of winter, and it seems everyone is heading South. Not me; I have a cozy space by the fire reserved for the coldest of days. But birds and people are on the move.

We’ve been watching various stages of migration for several weeks now. In early September, the barn swallows left us. They spent the summer nesting under our balcony, cavorting above the yard, and singing (scolding?!) from the rail. But suddenly they were gone: off to South America for the winter. The wrens left us about the same time: off to the southern USA or Mexico. We’ll have a place for them when they return in Spring.

Throughout October, various waves of waterfowl have made their way down the Mississippi flyway. Millions of birds pass right past our front door. Even when I can’t see them over the River bottoms, I can hear the “pop-pop-pop” of hunter’s guns on early foggy mornings, so I know there are ducks headed south. First wave through was the teal, then the mallards. Throughout this period, we’ve occasionally seen flocks of pelicans and Sandhill cranes.  Right now, we have geese… flocks in the sky, skeins on the water, gaggles on the ground. The last wave will be the tundra swans, usually in November and into early December. The viewing areas near Brownsville will be filled with white and the parking areas filled with on-lookers.

But migration is more than just who is leaving us and who is passing through. We also have some new arrivals for winter. It is odd to think that some snowbirds consider our backyard to be their sunny southern destination, but the Juncos have started showing up at Iowisota. These charming little birds spend their summer up in far northern Minnesota and Canada, then come down to the central and southern USA for winter.

Not only are the birds on the move, but the woods are changing quickly. This weekend, the hillsides are gorgeous with the colors of Fall. Parts of the trail are covered with a golden carpet of leaves that sends up that deep Autumn aroma as you kick through them. It is truly a bittersweet time to spend in the woods, as we soak up the last views of green among the golds.

We wish our snowbird human friends safe travels as they head south to warmer spaces, and we look forward to seeing you in the Spring. The rest of you who are staying here are can look for opportunities to visit us at Iowisota. Watch for some pop-up activities this fall (I’m going to go on hikes and do stuff; you’re welcome to join me, but it might be short notice on the Facebook page or website). We’ve got a few private retreats and stays scheduled, but we could fit in a few more. I’ll also be adding a pottery workshop and some “fireside makers” opportunities to the schedule soon.

I relied on my fowl-guy, Dennis, to help me with bird thoughts on this post. Thanks Dennis! I also had to borrow some bird images from our friend and photographer, Gordon Dietzman. You can find more of his pictures at Gordon Dietzman Nature Photography. Thanks Gordon!