Today I witnessed a forest that was flush with life 20 days ago experience a die-back.  The bees that once buzzed around the marsh appeared to have met the fate of the frost, though bugs like dragonflies, flies and wasps still remain active, though limited in magnitude.  Most birds, with the exception of goldfinches, wrens and chickadees have seemingly left the woods, though the few remaining birds are easily audible.  Milkweed and other lighter seeds fill the sky, drifting with the current of the wind as all the maples brown out and the oaks are priming themselves to follow suit. The ferns that carpet the forest floor are beginning to show less and less life, as with the high majority of plant life throughout the woods.

Downstream
Across Stream
Upstream
Browning of wildflowers
Snail
Unidentified bug
Bird’s Eye View Diagram