Exploring Nature, October 2025
by Cheryl Shank | Oct 1, 2025 | 2025, 10 October, Articles & Stories, Birds, Butterflies, Moths & Skippers, Carnivores, Cranes, Exploring Nature, Insects & Arachnids, Mammals, Reptiles & Amphibians
- Fall bird migration is well underway—hawks, warblers, waterfowl, gulls, and seabirds. Cape May, New Jersey, is a good observation area.
- Fall foliage is at its peak throughout most of the United States.
- Look for dew-covered insects in the early morning before their wings have dried out. This is a prime time for observation and photography.
- Sandhill Cranes are gathering in Hiwassee Refuge, Tennessee, for overwintering.
- Gray whales are migrating south from the Bering and Chukchi Seas along the western U.S. coast to Baja California, Mexico.
- Bears are gorging on food in preparation for entering winter torpor, similar to hibernation.
- Unlike most salamanders, marbled salamanders are laying eggs during fall.
- Look for fall-flying lepidoptera such as common buckeyes, gulf fritillaries, and long-tailed skippers.
Common buckeye. Photo © Dogwood Ridge.
