Signs of Fall in Upstate New York

Madison the Explorer in Rochester's autumn

Signs of Fall in
Upstate New York

By Snake (a.k.a. Linda Bender)

Regardless of the particulars of the weather, fall in upstate New York is an incredibly beautiful, crisp and clear refreshing time of year. After a long hot summer, I long for a cool, crisp fall as much as others long for a warm spring after a cold winter. And it's the perfect time to bring your family for a nature walk.

From a naturalist's perspective, there are two ways to enjoy the beauty of a jaunt in upstate New York's autumn: Passively, and actively. Both have merit. A passive enjoyment relies on the senses: The feeling of the warm sun or the cool breeze on your skin, the swish-swish of crisp leaves swimming around your feet, the music of the birds' unique autumn calls. But enjoying autumn actively is even better, because it involves the pleasure of matching your knowledge of nature's secrets with what is happening in the world around you. My job is to give you that information, so you can point out all of the little signs of this time of year to your children as you walk together. That way, you can give your family a lasting gift of understanding and appreciation of this wonderful season.

16 Signs of Fall

1) The call of the white-throated sparrow "Oh, sweet Canada, Canada, Canada."

2) Piles of nibbled hickory nuts and acorns

3) A continuous chirping (sounds like "bok-bok") of chipmunks defending their territory from the late summer young ones who are looking for a home

4) The delicate crunch of dry leaves underfoot

5) The sight of hundreds of dew-drenched spider webs decorating an old field

6) Skeins of Canada geese heading south

7) Monarch butterflies heading south, garden by garden--notice how even as they flutter from flower to flower, the direction is generally south

8) The smell of wild asters and goldenrod (no, most people are not allergic to the goldenrod--the green-flowered ragweed is the culprit)

9) The march of the wooly bear caterpillar to a safe winter haven (try turning one in the opposite direction of its travel, and slowly but surely, it will turn and go in its original direction)

10) Fat woodchucks wallowing around on roadsides and in yards gorging themselves for their winter sleep

11) The presence of "buck rubs" on the woodland trees, signaling that courtship has begun in the deer society (Look for areas on young, small diameter, aromatic trees such as sumac, pine, maple and shadbush.)

12) A sharp, cool breeze that brings a hint of wood smoke to your nose

13) The leaves finding their colors once more: First, the ashes turn a dull purple, then you'll see the flaming staghorn sumac, dogwood and sugar maple

14) The smell of ripening grapes, wild or cultivated

15) An explosion of seeds from so many plants, the milkweed, the acorns and hickory nuts, the jewelweed and dogwoods, seeds everywhere

16) The flocks of birds gathering to eat the above seeds and then begin their southern journey

Rochester

Summer Fun in Rochester

Signs of Fall in
Upstate New York

By Snake (a.k.a. Linda Bender)

16 Signs of Fall

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