Trees drain their leaves of nutrients before they are shed – it is an active process; the trees are not really “losing” their leaves / Tiny spiders go ballooning on strands of gossamer and may remain aloft for two weeks. In the right light conditions you can see these spidery threads in the sky / Spring salamanders are mating. Eggs will be laid in the spring / The beautifully colored leaves of white ash, in all shades of purple, are among the first to fall

Look for the long, toothed evergreen leaves of pipsissewa, a handsome small plant of dry woods / The eastern comma, like some other anglewing butterflies, is flying now and will overwinter as an adult. An obvious white “comma” decorates its underwing / Beavers are piling branches next to their lodge, to be eaten throughout the winter / Bears are especially active now, eating everything they can find to store enough fat to last for the next five months

Migrating fox sparrows will eat millet, black oil sunflower seeds, and cracked corn cast on the ground or in a ground-level feeder / Oak and beech trees evolved in the tropics and have not perfected the deciduous plan; look for their withered brown leaves clinging to the twigs / Broad winged hawks are crossing the Rio Grande. They’ll reach South America by mid November / Wood thrushes have headed out, most bound for central and northern South America

Woodland jumping mice begin six months of hibernation. These tiny mammals do not always succeed at accumulating enough fat to last for such a long time / Chipmunk cheeks are bulging with sugar maple seeds / A well-fattened raccoon may now weigh 30 pounds / Listen for the wild and exciting calls of Canada geese heading south / At least two species of cluster fly were imported from Europe. They are experts at squeezing through small spaces to get into your house