Autumn in New York

                                                        Red-tailed hawk

      We are are back in the Empire State and are enjoying the sights, the aromas, and the sounds of our prettiest season.  Fall has arrived in full force and the mountains are ablaze with the oranges, yellows and reds of Autumn.  Along with the changing colors comes a changing cast of characters in the avian play as warblers and other migrants depart and move through the Hudson Highlands.  We spent yesterday at Croton Point Park along the banks of the Hudson.  Birders around these parts seem to agree that the migration is a little later this year and indeed we had a good number of warblers passing through yesterday.  (See Yellow-rumped warbler image below)  Of course, along with the song birds, we get a decent passage of raptors.  We had Red-tails, Harriers, Kestrels, and Cooper's hawks in the area looking for a quick meal.

                                             Yellow-rumped warbler

                                             Cooper's hawk

     The days continue to grow shorter and the nights longer and cooler as we work our way deeper into fall and closer to winter.  In the meantime, we will enjoy the splendors of Autumn in New York and witness the evolution of summer into winter.

                                                    Brown creeper