Poplars are turning yellow, green acorns are falling from oaks and birds have begun migrating. In less than a month, autumn will officially arrive.

Cooler temperatures are now reminding us that summer is winding down. While I love the colors and migrations that fall brings, I am focusing on summer’s treasures before they fade away.

As the day begins, I am greeted with the calls and songs of yellow-billed cuckoos, wood thrushes and Acadian flycatchers — all migrants that will soon head south.

When the sun is higher and the day is warmer, the cicadas crank up their violins and fill the woods with their vibrations. By night, the katydids and crickets provide music to lull us to sleep.

The hummingbirds, goldfinches, butterflies, moths and bees are feasting on dying coneflowers and zinnias

See Full Page