September 30 - Grizzly Meal

Unlikely Meal - In the early autumn, grizzly bears will climb unusually high altitudes to feast on moths among the tundra of talus slopes.

This additional food source is important for the bears to store fat to survive the long cold winter months ahead.

September 23 - Happy Autumn!

Autumnal Equinox - Early on September 23 at 03:09 UTC, the Sun will be directly over Earth's equator. This is the official start of Autumn!

THE AUTUMN MONTHS SPLENDOR

The Autumn Months Melody
The hot summer days are gone and rolled by
The cool autumn months have once again arrived
The autumn majestic spirit permeates the land
It is another new day of autumn
The far sun above the horizon sends its rays and gentle warmth
on the valleys, mountains and hamlets
Nature has dressed in beautiful colors
The jolly trees are painted with red, yellow and brown
The autumn trees adorn the valleys and mountains that hug the skies
It is a portrait of panoramic dazzle
The brisk wind blows over the meadows
The cool wind sweeps the plains and fields
The tall trees dance and bow gently in grace
The tree branches hiss, swing and sway
The shivering leaves quiver with the wind
The green pastures are dotted with a mosaic
of dried brownish scattered leaves
Joining autumn happy symphony
The singing joyous birds, the playful beavers
The swimming silver fish in the water streams
All bring a solemn joy
The sun slowly climbs the immense skies
The autumn patchy clouds cast their shadows on the peaceful land
All painting an awesome picture of beauty, love and harmony
How beautiful are the melodies and splendor of the autumn months!

By Sherif Monem

Harvest Moon - September 23 also welcomes the Harvest Moon. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The full moon will rise soon after sunset on several consecutive evenings.

September 10 - Chimney Swift

Falling Flyers - Unlike most birds, chimney swifts cannot take off from horizontal surfaces; instead they drop from their perch or nest to take flight. They find chimneys a very suitable place to build their nests in the Spring-Summer months. It provides shelter from the wind, and gives them a nice vertical drop to take flight. At the end of summer they begin their migration back to Peru before the chimneys again come into use for the fall/winter months.

September 3 - Mega Flocks

Mega Flocks - More than 100 million seabirds crowd the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska each summer. Drawn by the productivity of the temperate, nutrient rich water stirred up by stormy seas, birds can feast on fish in the brief warmth of the season.

Current Influences - Northern Hemisphere oceans typically experience the year's highest sea temperatures in the late summer. Massive ocean currents shift warmer water to and from the surface. Shifts in sea surface temperature can trigger drastic weather systems.