This morning dawned clear and almost cold in central Missouri, great conditions for a drive in the country. Along one of my favored routes, east of Columbia, steam was rising from the lakes and the fall colors were just beginning to paint the landscape.
Flocks of mourning doves, starlings and red-winged blackbirds wheeled through the chilly air or huddled on the power lines, waiting for the bright sunshine to have its effect. Unfazed by the cold, a lone bald eagle raced above the farm fields, seemingly in a hurry to locate breakfast. An American kestrel, on the other hand, patiently scanned the ground from a phone pole before swooping down to snare its victim. Less energetic and puffed up against the chill, a quartet of eastern bluebirds were spaced along a wire, soaking in the first rays of the sun.
We naturalists all have our favorite seasons and landscapes and a country road in October is certainly high on my list. Fortunately, three weeks remain.
