By Marlene Condon

The wondrous fall migration is now taking place and is free of charge for all to see!

Broad-winged Hawks are leaving en masse from Canada and the northern United States because their main food supply, reptiles and amphibians, is fast disappearing. These cold-blooded animals are going into hibernation and that means the hawks that feed upon them must get to warmer climes. For us, that means we can sometimes observe hundreds to thousands of hawks overhead as they make their journey all the way to South America.

Migrating simultaneously with the much larger hawks are the Monarch butterflies. Tropical creatures, they move north during the warm months, colonizing the United States and Canada. When cold temperatures threaten, these unique orange butterflies must leave. As they head towards Mexico to spend the winter huddling together in Oyamel Fir trees in the mountains, they will stream over our area, sometimes in groups of 100 or more.

The keen observer may also note dragonflies and some other species of butterflies heading south. And if you are very lucky, you may even spot a Red Bat migrating. These brightly hued bats sometimes fly during the day and are easy to spot because of their noticeable orange coloring.

All of these critters must make spectacular journeys, via their own wing power, in order to try to survive into the new year. Think about what they are doing as you watch them heading south.

Migration is a truly awe-inspiring event and it can be witnessed right from your own yard during daytime hours. So whenever possible, look up!