If you've ever paused mid-rake to hear an unexpected song overhead, you've already caught the spirit of fall birdwatching.

Sitting on a bench surrounded by 70-foot-tall Norway spruces, I watch a red-breasted nuthatch take a peanut from a feeder in my front yard. There’s a cool breeze on this sunny autumn day, and I know ...

My first week of vacation was busier than a regular week of work. My school year stretched into late June. Then I had several social engagements that I had to attend to during the rest of the month.