Across natural ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere's Temperate Zone, September tends to be a mellow month. For most species, the challenges of breeding, nest building and child rearing have passed, the oppressive summer heat has abated and the stress of winter has yet to arrive.
We humans share this tranquility, energized by the cooler weather but not yet facing the traditional duties of autumn. We are free to turn off the air conditioner and open the windows without concern for sweltering heat or a high utility bill. Children are back in school and the frenzy of the holiday season is, for most of us, still months away.
Those of us who pay attention to nature recognize the quiet, unhurried behavior of our wild neighbors and this reinforces our own sense of well being. While the songbird migration is underway, it goes relatively unnoticed, occurring primarily at night and devoid of the raucous congregations that October and November will bring. Indeed, September is a welcome interlude between the incessant demands of summer and the social complications of the coming months.
