I love fall. It’s one of my top four seasons.
But fall often gets treated as one of two stereotypes:
- a radiant landscape awash in oranges, reds, and golds, with aromatic hints of apple and pumpkin spice, or
- the dead and dying detritus of trees, plants, and life as darkness descends and birds fly away.
Between those extremes—cozy versus stick season—there’s a lot of life. To me, fall’s transitions—birds migrating, animals stockpiling food, plants and trees preparing for winter dormancy—make it feel transformative, not dead. If you take a look, you’ll find hardy late-bloomers thriving, a landscape abuzz, and life persisting. Here’s some of what I’ve observed in my backyard.
Asters and Bees
I remember the first aster I ever saw (well, noticed) in my yard six years ago. Its unexpected spot of color amid the fading trees felt like a gift. A flower! Just appearing! In fall! How amazing! I took a picture.
In the years since, we’ve let much of our backyard rewild itself with asters, goldenrods, and other native plants. Now there’s a small field’s worth of color in fall, not just a spot, and for the past month, I’ve heard the buzz of hundreds of bees, still busy, even as temps cool.
There are fewer each day, but they’re still out there—flowers and bees—working till the end of their seasonal shifts.
Despite the abundance of Common Eastern Bumble Bee photos above, we do see others. Maine has more than 270 species of native bees, the majority solitary, with various life cycles. Most overwinter in leaves, logs, brush, the ground, or pre-existing cavities; some freeze almost entirely solid during torpor; some aren’t even bees yet but overwinter as prepupae; and some die off. Regardless of variety, we can help all native bees by leaving the leaf litter and debris on the ground whenever and wherever we can. It’s where they live.
More Insects
It hasn’t been just bees out there. I’ve noticed caterpillars, moths, spiders, and more this fall. Just like with the bees, native plants and leaf litter are key to their year-round survival. If we want butterflies, moths, and other insects next year, we can’t toss them and their habitats out this fall. Those leaf and brush piles, plants, and the ground underneath are their homes.
Amphibians
I’ve been increasingly worried about amphibians the last few years. It’s hard to survive in this fast-paced, fractured world when you’re a small, thin-skinned creature, perpetually losing aquatic and land habitats, and have to cross busy roads to reproduce. It’s brutal.
So, I was thrilled to discover several Eastern Red-backed Salamanders underneath a plant pot I was putting away this fall. I moved the salamanders to a safer area—out of the driveway—with plenty of moist leaf litter (I’m sensing a theme here) and flat stones. Hopefully they’ll find good spots to hibernate underground.
I’ve even seen a few frogs this fall, including a spring peeper (fall peeper?). Maybe it will hibernate under some logs, in a hole, or in the loose bark of a tree in our yard. I’m rooting for them all and thinking of ways to make our yard even more amphibian-friendly next spring.
Birds, Birds, Birds
And, of course, I’ve noticed birds. That includes the fall migrants who’ve stopped by for food, water, and shelter on their journeys south. A Common Yellowthroat spent most of a week in our freon and back yards. Another appeared today. We’ve had small flocks of White-throated Sparrows foraging in the leaf litter and taking baths (so exuberantly I’ve had to refill the baths afterwards).
I’ve also seen a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Phoebe, and Song Sparrow, and currently there is a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting between goldenrods and trees. And today I saw my first Dark-eyed Juncos of the season. I wonder what other travelers I’ve missed passing through.
American Goldfinches are short-distance migrants that we hear and see all year-round. However, come fall they start appearing in large groups. They like to descend on the goldenrods or sit atop coneflowers they’ll eat from all winter.
Then there’s the usual gang: chickadees, cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice, and more who hang around all year.
Leaves, Mushrooms, and More
These aren’t grand autumnal landscapes, but together the leaves, mushrooms, and native plants create a collage. One that buzzes, hums, and chirps, one that grows and rests. So, we’ll leave the leaves and seeds where we can, plant more native plants and flowers, offer up year-round food and water sources, and see what pops of color and life show up each distinct and vibrant season.
October is Leave the Leaves Month:
- Leave The Leaves! Leaves are habitat, not trash (Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation)
- Pro-Tips for Leaving the Leaves (National Wildlife Federation)
All photos copyright Alicia MacLeay and taken in Kennebec County, Maine, September and October 2026