The return of fall can be a great time for nature watching, particularly as political discourse is heating up, hurricanes are raging, and there is trouble around the world. I can't seem to solve the world's problems, so a little escapism is what I am left with.

Fall brings better weather and returning birds. Butterflies and spiders are abundant. The shorebirds return first followed by the warblers, and then sparrows. Birders use the designation FOF on bird lists to indicate if a sighting is the First of Fall. I always look forward to the return of White-crowned sparrows. I had my FOF about a week or so ago, but the FOF for my yard was on the last day of the month. Vagrants (those migratory birds that occasionally show up on the wrong coast) are more likely to be found in September. Some vagrants that I saw locally were Painted Bunting, Lark Bunting, Virginia's Warbler, and Worm-eating Warbler. The latter was a lifer for me. 

Lizards lay eggs in spring and summer which hatch in late summer. In fall, young lizards, or as I call them fun snack sized lizards, are cute and scurry around. I saw many baby lizards on Signal Hill while looking for vagrants and FOF migrants. I was shocked when I saw a Western Fence Lizard baby struggling against a California Towhee. Towhees are primarily seed-eaters! But I suppose any snack will do if the opportunity arises. I witnessed a Red-shouldered Hawk dive into my backyard and grab a Southern Alligator Lizard. I grabbed my camera as it flew on top of my arbor until it could subdue its prey before taking off.

The official first day of fall is September 22. I celebrated by falling out my back door on the 25th. Fortunately the damage is more inconvenient than severe, but seven hours in the ER and three small fractures in the ankle and foot have me incapacitated for a bit while I heal. 

I look forward to returning to birding in winter, after the fall.

Happy nature watching. 
 

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimMooreNaturalist/

Watch the slideshows or click on the links to look through at your own pace. Links open in a new tab.

Local Stuff:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_sep-2024