September has arrived, and while the summer heat is still hanging on, I always feel a shift that represents a new beginning. To me, fall brings the joy of a new year. We have three consecutive seasons of non-stop bird action: fall migration, winter birds, and then spring migration with all its colorful and musical glory. Summer ends all the fun, shooing us indoors to escape the blazing sun while the birds largely go quiet.

Now the days are starting to get a bit shorter, and the sun will soon be beaming at us from a different angle offering a touch of relief. Some birds will start to get restless and eventually fly away in search of better weather, and we start to see the arrival of our winter visitors. I look forward to hearing the songs of the small group of White-crown Sparrows that call our backyard home, and the daily visits from an Orange-crowned Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

It’s only weeks away when the weather here should finally be conducive to venturing out for birding. Then we have plenty of months ahead of nonstop birding joy. It’s the beginning of a new year of fun!