September 29, 2025
The blanket of fog over the river valley has long since burned off. It’s another clear and sunny day. A bit warm (87°F), but still nice. October is just a day away so I am sure cooler temperatures will be here soon. Maybe then it will start to feel like fall. Summer here in Ohio seems to drag on and on forever, sometimes skipping over autumn entirely and going straight from summer to winter. This leaves me feeling disoriented and deflated over missing my favorite season of the year. The fall foliage is often equally disappointing, with the leaves staying green for ages and then just turning brown, never showing any signs of color. As someone who grew up in New England, its impossible for me to not have higher expectations. Hopefully this year will be different.
September 30, 2025
Another clear day with a dirty hazy band along the horizon (Air Quality is Moderate: 60). The wind is calm and the birds are quiet. Somewhere a squirrel is chattering and squawking. Though the days are growing shorter, there seems to be a seasonal lull in the weather, as if nature’s slow progression has come to a pause. The same weather repeating itself day after day. I really should not complain about it being beautiful and sunny out, but I cannot help but wish for proper sweater weather.
October 2, 2025
Hello October! Another day beneath a sky blue dome, brick buildings illuminated by the warm glow of the golden sun. It’s a bit chilly (58°F) but the cooler temperatures are a breath of fresh air. There are a few thin wispy clouds but none of any great significance. Yesterday the Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica, formerly known as the American Swift) were out and about, their slender wings slicing through the air as they sped along. Its enjoyable to watch their aerial acrobatics as they hunt for insects. They are so fast!
I feel like it’s worth mentioning that the work of John James Audubon had a significant influence on me and my art as a child. First introduced to his illustrations in 8th grade, it had a strong impression on me and strengthened my interest in drawing birds.
Hummingbirds Head South
A few birds are twittering now and again. I wonder if the hummingbirds have begun to migrate yet? I had seen a few hummingbirds over the summer (the cats wanted to catch them! Which gave me a slight heart attack… fortunately, no birbs or cats were harmed). These tiny birds have always been so fascinating to me. Did you know they are the only birds that can truly hover in place?
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the most common species of hummingbird found in Ohio. It is extremely small, only weighing a few grams (about as much as a penny!). Astonishingly, these tiny but mighty birds migrate from Canada and the United States across the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America during the winter months.1 Absolutely mind blowing that they are capable of traveling such distances.
- Rainforest Alliance – https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/hummingbird/
Audubon – https://www.audubon.org/magazine/10-fun-facts-about-ruby-throated-hummingbird
Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources – https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/birds/ruby-throated-hummingbird
Cornell Lab, All About Birds – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/overview ↩︎