By Samantha Jo Owens

Between walking our dogs, working outdoors, and exploring with two curious toddlers, the seasonal shift in our trees and weather is hard to miss.

I'm no bird expert, just a local mom on West Main Street whose kids love investigating every sound they hear along Ellicott Creek and our park paths. What started as satisfying their curiosity turned into a seasonal discovery: October is peak migration across Western New York. Our year-round regulars are currently sharing branches with northern species traveling south for the winter.

Whether you're exploring village trails or watching the yard from your front porch, here are three reliable vantage points and a quick guide to what's passing through town this month:

Reliable Viewing Spots in Town

The Joe Panza Nature Trail (Alden Town Park): The flat woodchip loop alongside Ellicott Creek is an easy walk where you'll regularly hear downy woodpeckers tapping and spot resting mallards in the calmer bends.

Your Own Backyard: A basic feeder, brush pile near the property line, or a few mature pines will draw chickadees, juncos, and migrating sparrows all morning.

Village Edges & Open Acreage: Where neighborhood side streets meet open farm fields, scan utility poles and fence posts for red-tailed hawks on watch.

Bird & Status / Quick ID & Spotting Cue

Black-capped Chickadee (Daily): Black cap/throat; active at suet feeders and pines.

Blue Jay (Daily): Bright blue crest; noisy in high oak branches.

Downy Woodpecker (Daily): Small, black-and-white; climbs tree trunks along trails.

Mallard (Daily): Green head (drake); rests in calm Ellicott Creek bends.

Dark-eyed Junco (Fall Arrival): Slate-gray with white belly; hops in leaf litter under shrubs.

White-throated Sparrow (Migrating): Yellow eyebrow spots; scratches through low brush and creek banks.

Northern Flicker (Common): Large, polka-dotted; flashes yellow wings while ant-hunting on lawns.

Red-tailed Hawk (Common): Brick-red tail; perches high on roadside utility poles by farm fields.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Bonus): Fast gray songbird; flashes bright yellow rump while eating berries.