If I had my way, October would stick around a little longer. It’s one of my two most favorite months of the year, the other being April. For me, late October and early November is the best time of the year to be outdoors in Georgia.
The days are cooler and nearly perfect now. Mosquitoes and other pesky bugs are at a low ebb. And one of the greatest shows of the natural world, the autumn leaf color spectacle, has started in earnest in North Georgia’s mountains. This weekend and next should be peak time for color in northeast Georgia.
In other areas of the state, peak time may be two or three weekends away. For leaf show updates across North Georgia, go to http://gfccommunityforestry.wordpress.com. For live, scenic views from Georgia's highest mountain, Brasstown Bald, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/conf/home/?cid=fsm9_029190.
Autumn leaves aside, this time of year is also critical for wildlife, such as:
— Monarch butterflies, whose fall migration is peaking now. A couple of the orange-and-black creatures were nectaring on some late fall blooms in my yard in Decatur this week. Millions of monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains spend the winter in the mountains of Central Mexico. Spotting a monarch, however, has become more difficult because of population declines due to habitat loss, severe droughts and other problems.
— Black bears, which are moving about now, gathering food (mostly nuts, berries and acorns) and fattening up for winter survival. State wildlife officials are concerned about this year’s unusually poor acorn and nut crops, which could cause the bears to roam further afield for food. Also vying for the wild food are many other wildlife species, such as wild turkeys, blue jays and gray squirrels.
— White-tailed deer, whose breeding season (called “the rut”) has begun and will peak in November. Drivers, beware: Love-starved male deer are roaming about in search of mates, bringing them more often across highways in both rural and urban areas.
Other observations: Great horned and barred owls are hooting as they prepare for their breeding seasons; flocks of neighborhood crows are cawing, one of autumn’s most iconic sounds; downy, hairy, red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers are coming to suet feeders.
IN THE SKY: The moon, now in last quarter, will "disappear" into a new moon for a couple of days next weekend (Nov. 2), said David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer. Mercury is very low in the southwest just after dark and sets shortly thereafter. Venus is in the west just after dark and sets about two hours later. Mars rises out of the east about three hours before sunrise. Jupiter rises out of the east just before midnight.
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