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For the past three decades, Rick Marsi's name has become synonymous with excellence in the following fields:

Purchase Rick's books and photos, hire him as a speaker for your next meeting or special event, or engage him to lead you on a guided nature walk.

Available for sale here now...

Rick's new book of nature

essays, "Log Cabin Year",

48 Reflections from Our

Seasons Past with illustrations

by Jan Mars

Price reduced to $19.95

Click on the book cover to view sample pages

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

See my photos of this season's butterflies in "Bonus Content" at left.
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View my log of October nature sightings by clicking "diary" at left. 
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Photos from October...

We will see Spotted Sandpipers migrating south through the Northeastern states at this time of year, but they won't look like this. This is a sandpiper I photographed here in summer, wearing breeding plumage. Now that plumage has evolved into a winter plumage with no spots and a gray, not brown, coat. 


By mid-October, my driveway will look like this. The oranges come from Red Maples; the yellows from Hop Hornbeam and Trembling Aspen. The dark greens are two White Pines.


This time of year finds my yard covered with these paddle-shaped seeds of White Ash trees. The paddles act in the same way "wings" on maple trees do: helping the wind distribute the seeds far from their mother trees.


Countless migratory ducks will be passing through during October, including these American wigeon, male and female, I photographed at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, near Seneca Fall, NY.


Although many people call them "green heads", male Mallards will show an iridescent purple head if the sun hits them just right.


One of my favorite fall migrants, a Northern Harrier, swoops low over my kayak as I paddle alone the edge of a freshwater wetland. Harriers sweep low over the ground, hoping their presence will cause small rodents and other prey to flush into the open. 


September and October are the only months when I can hope to see a Great Egret as far north as New York State. For unknown reasons, birds fledged farther south in breeding areas along the Northeast Coast migrate north to spend time farther upstate at this time of year.

Photos by Rick Marsi

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