Every fall, hawks put on quite a show as they take flight by the thousands for their annual migration. Where are the hawks going? Learn more about this amazing natural spectacle—and how to help migrating hawks.

Do Hawks Migrate South for the Winter?

Most hawks migrate south in autumn, though not all hawks. You’ll see Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s hawks, Sharp-shinned hawks, and many others start streaming through the air. 

Migrating hawks travel southward out of Canada and the northern United States, along both coasts of North America, around the Great Lakes, over the Great Plains, down the Appalachians and the Rockies, pressed together into the funnel of Mexico. Some pour down into Central America.

When do Hawks Migrate?

Most hawks migrate in October, though timing can range from September to mid-November based on weather and other factors.

When to Watch Hawks

The best times to watch hawks are in mid-morning (10 to 11 am) and mid-afternoon (3 to 4 pm). Why? This is the peak thermal activity in the skies, which gives the quickest ride for migrating birds!

In autumn, hawks are especially attracted to a sunny day after a cold front passes with northwest winds about 15 to 20 mph for good speed!

Where to Watch Hawks

If you’d like to join a hawk watch, the best sites are generally on mountain ranges and shorelines throughout North America are places where hawks concentrate in significant numbers. Hawk migration counts are conducted at many locations where raptors are known to be abundant. The Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) lists over 1,000 hawk migration sites in North America.

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Make the flowers of summer last a little longer! Discover plants that bring colorful flowers to your gardens throughout September and October. Here are 50 fall flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants that welcome the season with a blaze of color.

Foxgloves that were cut back after flowering this summer are putting out second spikes of bloom. The rugosa rose is still producing blossoms as well.

But we can add an extra season of interest with fall-blooming flowers, colorful shrubs, and other plants that are at their best in the fall.

Make the flowers of summer last a little longer! Discover plants that bring colorful flowers to your gardens throughout September and October. Here are 50 fall flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants that welcome the season with a blaze of color.

Foxgloves that were cut back after flowering this summer are putting out second spikes of bloom. The rugosa rose is still producing blossoms as well.

But we can add an extra season of interest with fall-blooming flowers, colorful shrubs, and other plants that are at their best in the fall.

Annual Flowers

Lots of annuals that can take some cooler temps will still be pumping out the blossoms into fall.

These include nasturtiums, zinnias, calendula, marigolds, and rudbeckias.

Perennial Flowers

Fall-blooming perennials often showcase the jewel tones of the season with beautiful reds, golds, and russets.

Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is a reliable native perennial that blooms from late summer through the first few frosts. The large, purple, clustered flowers grow on plants that can be over 6 feet tall in the right place. Where is that place? Since this plant likes moist soil, many wild ones grow along stream beds and riverbanks in full sun. Pollinators love Joe-Pye weed, so add a couple to the back of your sunny border.

Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum) ‘Autumn Joy’ is truly a joy this time of year, when deep-pink blooms emerge from its fleshy foliage. ‘Matrona’ is another variety that produces tall stems.

Yellow heliopsis are in full flower in fall.

Surprise lily, Lycoris squamigera, is known by several names, each more revealing than the next. Its genus honors the mistress of the ancient Roman Mark Antony, while it is more commonly called resurrection, surprise, and magic lily because its straplike foliage appears in spring and dies back in late summer. And just when you think that it has failed you, its flower stem rises between 18 and 24 inches to burst forth with 4 to 7 trumpetlike, rose-pink blooms that have exceptional fragrance.

Asters are the queen and king of the fall garden, deserving of several entries. They are easily grown from seed, but this time of year, the garden centers offer a wide range of colors and heights to choose from.

New England asters; despite their name, they grow throughout the US and Canada. They can get quite tall if not chopped back by half in early summer. That quick pruning encourages them to branch, giving us even more flowers on more manageable-sized plants. They have also had a name change, being moved from the crowded aster family to their own separate genus Symphyotrichum.

Snowbank’ false aster, Boltonia asteroides, only sounds chilling; in fact, its billowing profusion of daisylike flowers with their gold centers spreads sunshine. Evocative of aster (hence its nickname: false aster), coreopsis, and cornflower, this North American native begins to flower in August and continues well into September (the first frost will bring its show to an end). A compact plant, it grows just 3 to 4 feet tall and needs no staking.

Other favorite perennials for fall color include:

• Canadian burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis)
• Blue monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii)
• Hardy chrysanthemum ‘Venus’, ‘Sheffield’
• Boltonia asteroides ‘Snowbank’
• Black cohosh (aka bugbane) (Cimicifuga racemosa) ‘Hillside Black Beauty’
• Lycoris (Lycoris squamigera)
• Bugbane ‘Hillside Black Beauty’

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Being creative about your physical activity plans and trying new forms of exercise can keep you motivated by preventing boredom. A change in seasons is an excellent time to be creative about your exercise routine and try something new. There are many ways to be active throughout the year.

Winter

• When your grandchildren visit, head outside to build a snowman together or go ice skating.
• Cold outdoor temperatures are an excellent reason to join a mall-walking group.
• Start the new year by trying out a fitness center — many offer New Year’s Resolution specials.
• Give your heart a Valentine’s Day gift with dance lessons, such as salsa, tango, or belly dancing.

Spring

• As the temperatures start to get warm, get your garden ready for spring and summer. The lifting and bending you do when gardening are great for strength and flexibility.
• A bike ride is a great way to enjoy the warmer temperatures.
• Anything can be fun with upbeat music, including spring cleaning!
• Build your endurance and strength with a bike ride during National Bike Month (May). Remember your helmet.

Summer

• Swim laps or take a water aerobics class. These are both refreshing once the weather gets steamy.
• Walking in the mall is a cool way to beat the heat.
• Now that the grandchildren are out of school for the summer, ask them to teach you their favorite sport or physical activity.
• Celebrate National Bowling Week the first week in August. Get friends and family together and challenge each other to a friendly tournament.

Fall

• If you’ve heard about the benefits of yoga but haven’t tried it yet, National Yoga Awareness Month in September is a great time to find special events and trial classes for beginners.
• As the weather begins to cool, join an indoor sports league, such as basketball, handball, or bowling.
• Fall provides great opportunities for physical activity. You can take long walks to see the beautiful fall colors. Once the leaves have fallen, raking is good exercise.
• If you have holiday shopping to do, walk the entire mall each time you’re there.

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