A Conversation About Winter is Comingto the Catskills

Fans of “Game of Thrones” know the motto of the Stark clan. It always sounds menacing, no matter where you hear it. It’s even more menacing in the middle of August. We look at the full ripeness of summer, vivid green lawns and lush gardens, and absorb the richness. All the while in the back of our minds there’s a little voice whispering, “Winter is coming.”                                                                            

Usually there’s a moment when we realize that we’re standing on the brink of the descent into Winter. Mine came this morning. I usually make it a point to sit outside as often as possible when I’m working on my laptop because, well, winter is coming. I want to absorb as much nice weather as possible before I’m trapped in the house with my nose pressed against the window. While I sit, enjoying the breeze and the sunshine, a fierce buzzing begins. I follow the sound and see the battle beginning. The hummingbirds are darting around my two feeders, dueling for dominance. There’s plenty for everyone. I have two feeders and countless flowers in their favorite flavors. But the migration has begun, and the local talent is trying to fend off the travelers. I frequently lean back and pull in my chin as a pair of combatants whiz past under my nose. I also get to admire individuals when, unmolested, they sip from the feeder until bubbles rise to the top.

But they’re not alone as harbingers of winter. Annual flowers are overly lavish and need pruning as they rush to produce seed for the next generation. And the birds are announcing the coming change loud and clear… to those who listen. The gangster blue jays are gathering by twos and threes from wherever they had spent their summer. As the autumn progresses, their numbers increase until there are packs of them bullying and shouting at the more peaceful avians. These include the mourning doves, who mysteriously arrive in small family groups, cooing and strutting around, waiting for the feeders to go up. Other small birds seem to feel a need to gather, as do the geese. They’re in no hurry to travel yet, just making plans, I guess. 

The small birds that stay all year are changing their habits, too. The gold finches are deliriously feeding on their favorite foods, the thistles, goldenrod and sunflowers. In another month they will shuck their bright yellow feathers and replace them with their winter costume of brown. For now, though, it’s a treat to watch the darting yellow sparks of color winging above waves of flower colors.                                     One last subtle hint of summer’s end is the production of seed among the grasses. Most of the big ornamental grasses have started to push out their spikes. These will expand into gorgeous plumes held above the massive clumps of foliage, and they dance with the wind and provide perches for the hungry small birds.

Yup, winter is coming. So grab what you can of your inside chores and scoot outside to savor the riches. I like to choose a particular day at this time of year, store it in my memory banks, and pull it out to enjoy on a dark January afternoon. Try it. It works. In the interim, listen to an episode of “Nature Talks, Conversations from the Hudson Valley.” We talk to Dr. Kathryn Schneider about ways to safely help feed our feathered friends it’s episode 78: https://ccecolumbiagreene.org/gardening/nature-calls-conversations-from-the-hudson-valley/episode-78-birding-101.