The trees gradually change colours from monotone greens to vibrant hues of orange, red and yellow.
While the birds that flutter through them do the opposite, as most have shed their bright springtime colours for more muted shades of greens, yellows, and browns.
Between silently wandering through local trails or a nearby cemetery that is a known hotspot for birds and paddling through the backcountry in Northern Ontario (with camera in tow) I have been able to enjoy the colours and peace that nature provides when the temperatures drop and people tend to stay at home.
I live for the cooler temperatures. It’s always a good time getting to see what birds are moving through the area as they migrate to their wintering grounds. Identifying them in autumn is also a fun challenge, as their muted tones can make them appear to be something they’re not! But identifying birds is only part of the fun. Really, being outside with wildlife allows my curiosity to be satiated and the reduction of cortisol levels is an added bonus.
Watching wildlife in the quiet hours I can see how much work it takes for them to survive. I see them hunting in the trees as they find spiders and caterpillars to eat. They move constantly while looking for food. They dart out from the trees with incredible speed as they snatch bugs from the sky with an audible snap of their beaks, and as they chase one another off when someone gets a little too close to their meal, (or maybe they’re just goofing around?) It’s neat to see how some species like to stay high in the canopy, while others are right at my feet in the shrubs and thickets. It also allows me to see the curious nature of wildlife. I think many people believe that animals are purely instinctual, but spending time with them proves thats simply not true.
To me they often seem curious, inquisitive and playful. While at first some birds are intimidated by my presence but after some time passes they become used to me being there and will often come out from the shadows and give inquisitive looks when the camera shutter clicks. I’ve had Red-breasted Nuthatches fly directly at me and my camera in what I assume is a blend of curiousity and trying to have some fun.
One thing is for certain, time spent in nature with these creatures reminds me how precarious life really is, how we’re all in the same struggle for survival, and how surviving while maintaining a balance with nature is the most important thing we can do with our time here not only for those of us currently here, but for future generations of humans AND wildlife. After all this planet is not our own, it is a shared space and we should treat it as such. We all have a part to play in that.
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