Skip to main content 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

## Utility (Top) navigation

-  About Us   **Forward **Back-  About Us
-  Mission & Vision
-  Leadership
-  Our Organization
-  Our Facilities
-  Regions

-  Laws & Regulations   **Forward **Back-  Laws & Regulations
-  Laws, Agreements & Treaties
-  Hunting Regulations

-  Library   **Forward **Back-  Library
-  Categories
-  Collections

                          -   Home 
                          -   Services   **Forward **Back-   Services 
-   Duck Stamps   **Forward **Back-   Duck Stamps 
-   Buy a Duck Stamp or E-Stamp 
-   Buy a Junior Duck Stamp 

-   Fish Stocking 
-   Importing & Exporting 
-   Consultation & Technical Assistance   **Forward **Back-   Consultation & Technical Assistance 
-   ESA Section 7 Consultation 
-   Habitat Conservation Planning (HCPs) 
-   Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA & CCAA) 
-   Safe Harbour Agreements (SHA) 
-   Conservation Banking 
-   Coastal Barrier Resources Act Project Consultation 
-   Coastal Barrier Resources System Property Documentation 

-   Financial Assistance 
-   Species Management 
-   Investigational New Animal Drugs (INADS) 
-   Permits 
-   Search All Services 
Duck StampsOne of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying duck stamps.
                          -   Species   **Forward **Back-   Species 
-   Explore Taxonomic Tree 
-   Find a Species 
Interest storyBats: “The Coolest Mammals on Earth”
                          -   Visit Us   **Forward **Back-   Visit Us 
-   Events 
-   Recreation Passes 
-   Outdoor Recreation 
-   Where to Hunt 
-   Where to Fish 
-   Our Locations 
Scenic DrivesTour routes of great scenic drives on National Wildlife Refuges.
                          -   Get Involved   **Forward **Back-   Get Involved 
-   Careers and Internships 
-   Volunteering 
-   Friends Partnerships 
-   Learning Opportunities 
-   Education Programs 
-   Events 
-   Partnerships   **Forward **Back-   Partnerships 
-   Partnership Categories 
-   Partner List 

VolunteerSearch for volunteer opportunities around the country
                          -   Newsroom   **Forward **Back-   Newsroom 
-   Press Releases 
-   Congressional Testimony 
-   Media Contacts 
Wild ThingsNews about wonderful wild things and places
                          -   Initiatives   **Forward **Back-   Initiatives 
-   Combating Wildlife Trafficking 
-   Director's Priorities 
-   Climate Change 
-   Hunting 
-   Fishing 
-   Invasive Species 
-   Pollinators 
-   Protecting Wildlife 
Climate ActionFWS is taking steps to mitigate climate impacts
                          -   I want to   **Forward **Back-  I Want To
-   Report Wildlife Crime 
-   Do Business with FWS 
-   Volunteer 
-   Find a Job or Internship 
-   Visit a Refuge 
-   Buy a Duck Stamp 
-   Apply for a Permit 
-   Find Funding 
-   Find Training 
Wild workSearch employment opportunities with USFWS

## Search

Search

# Fall Wonders

Image Details

### Written By

Susan Morse

Fall is a season of restlessness on national wildlife refuges. All that change and motion means there is lots to capture visitors' attention. As daylight shrinks and the mercury drops, great flocks of ducks, geese and shorebirds start their migrations south and west. Monarch butterflies head for wintering sites in Mexico. Bull elk spar and compete for mates. Color and drama are everywhere.

Image Details

                          - **Monarch Butterflies** Every fall, monarchs fly thousands of miles south to overwinter in Mexico. Along the way, they rest and feed on nectar-bearing plants. If you time your visit right, you might see clusters of the bright orange and black insects blanket trees and shrubs.  Each fall, the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory counts and tags monarchs at Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Visitors are welcome to watch. Taggers record monarch size, condition and gender. Monarch tagging takes place at several other refuges, as well. Image DetailsHundreds of snow geese lift off at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri.
                          - **Migrating Birds** Great flocks of shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors and other birds fly each fall from northern breeding grounds to warmer areas to the south and west. At the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is a storied place for viewing hawks, merlins and falcons on their fall migratory flights. Birders with scopes and bird tally sheets reliably congregate around popular observation spots, offering help on spotting and identifying birds to visitors new to the game. In Utah, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge draws millions of birds – including phalaropes and eared grebes – to rest and feed on their way south. In Missouri, Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge is a favorite place to see snow geese en route south starting in early October. Image DetailsAn elk bugles during the fall mating season.
                          - **Fall Wildlife Spectacles** Seasonal spectacles include the eerie sounds of elk bugling and the sight of mule deer bucks locking antlers with rivals. Male elk announce fall breeding season by throwing back their heads and letting out piercing, high-pitched calls. Male elk bugle to attract females, defend territory and assert dominance over competitors. See and hear bugling elks at such refuges as Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge in California. See a short video of Tule elk bugling. Image DetailsA bright red and gold leaf in fall at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine.
                          - **Fall Colors** When temperatures fall and the leaves turn, it’s hard to beat Northeast refuges for dramatic autumn tableaus of reds and golds. Leaf peepers can improve on fall foliage driving tours by stopping off at some of the region’s many national wildlife refuges. Most are great places for fall walks or hikes. Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge has units in four states that offer breathtaking views of fall foliage in the Connecticut River Valley. Along the trail, you might spy American woodcock or white-tail deer. Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia refuge boasts more than 31 miles of trails through its high-elevation wetlands, grasslands and forests. These tend to be at peak color in mid-September to early October. In Maine, verdant Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge teems with wildlife and offers a tranquil break from city life. Image DetailsYoung male turkeys known as jakes at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska.
                          - **Wild Turkeys** They don’t migrate but they’re still fun to watch. See toms and hens strut their stuff at many national wildlife refuges. If Ben Franklin had had his way, the wild turkey might have been our national symbol. Wild turkeys also represent a conservation success story. In the early 1900s, wild turkeys were on the brink of extinction, with only about 200,000 left. Thanks to conservation efforts over the past century, with funding from the Pittman-Robertson Act, the number of wild turkeys in the United States now exceeds 6.5 million, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation. Learn some wild facts about wild turkeys. Image DetailsSan Luis National Wildlife Refuge in central California has a thriving population of tule elk.
                          - **Antlers!** Wildlife refuges are home to many antlered animals, including elk, caribou, moose and white-tailed deer. Fall is when they are most visible. Antlers can grow up to an inch per day, among the fastest-growing animal tissue on the planet. 

### Story Tags

### Recreational Activities

Birding

Hiking

Wildlife watching

### Written By

Susan Morse

Wildlife Wonders

### Facilities

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge

### Related Stories

Spring Marvels

Apr 22, 2022

Summer Sights

Aug 16, 2022

Winter Scenes 

Jan 13, 2023

### Latest Stories

Revised Marbled Murrelet Inland Survey Protocol

Apr 16, 2024

(Canada) Goosin’ Around in Minnesota 

Apr 16, 2024

Second Year Fossil ID Workshop Another Success

Apr 16, 2024

Pagination

-  Previous page
-   Current page 1
-   Page 2
-   Page 3
-   Page 4
-   Page 5
-   Page 6
-   Page 7
-   Page 8
-   Page 9
-  Next page

Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

## Footer Menu - Employment

-  Careers & Internships
-  Contracting

## Footer Menu - Site Links

-  Leadership
-  Frequently Asked Questions
-  Contact FWS

## Footer Menu - Legal

-  Accessibility
-  Freedom of Information Act
-  Notices
-  Privacy Policy
-  Disclaimers
-  Information Quality
-  Vulnerability Disclosure Policy

## Footer Menu - External Links

-  DOI
-  USA.GOV

                    -  
                    -  
                    -  
                    -  
                    -  
                    -  

### You are exiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website

You are being directed to 

We do not guarantee that the websites we link to comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act. Links also do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
I Understand. Take me there.