Backyard Birding | Autumn 2025

Autumn in the Backyard Habitat

Autumn arrived quietly, with a crispness in. the air and leaves painting the backyard in amber and gold. The backyard shifted from summer abundance to a rhythm of preparation and migration. Days grew shorter, light softened, and the wildlife moved with a deliberate energy.

While summer was about who was staying, autumn was about who was passing through. Backyard birding in these months offered a mix of familiar faces and new arrivals, a reminder that even small urban habitats play an important role in the lives of migrating birds.

Caring for the Habitat

As temperatures cooled, my work in the yard shifted again – from encouraging growth to supporting resilience. The pond was topped up one last time before the freeze, leaves were tucked around trees and plants, I harvested some seeds from my native plants, while the rest were left to provide a food source for the birds.

Autumn 2025 Bird Sightings

From September 22nd to December 21st, I identified 28 bird species, including 4 lifers. Autumn birding felt different from both summer and spring – less about abundance. Some visitors were passing through, others stayed for a few weeks, taking advantage of seeds, water, and shelter.

*L = lifer | *FO = flyover | *H = heard only | *SFY = seen from yard

Standout Moments

• Looking outside to see a Sharp-skinned Hawk in the pond. I actually thought it was a Cooper’s Hawk until I was writing this post and realized it was a different species, and a lifer.
  

Through The Lens

Here are glimpses of autumn’s backyard residents – moments of movement and colour that show a habitat in its seasonal flow.

🌿  Want to follow the backyard birding journey from the start? Explore 2023, Jan–Mar 2024, Apr–Aug 2024, Sep–Dec 2024,Winter 2024–2025, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025 to follow which birds arrived, stayed, and thrived in the yard across the seasons.

If this post sparked an idea, made you pause, or nudged you to notice the life in your own space, share it. Every share spreads the invitation: to garden with purpose, to rewild a yard, to create a place wildlife trusts – and helps this little patch of land inspire more backyard birders, native plant gardeners, and nature-lovers.

Thanks for reading! Until next time,
Tracey

INFORMATION

FO = Flying Overhead
H = Heard
L = Lifer
SFY = Saw From Yard

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