The forecast for Friday was a morning low of 32 degrees.

These old bones weren’t ready for that temperature yet, so I ventured out a day earlier. It was only 41 degrees.

As I left my truck, the waning, nearly full moon was casting more light than the hint of light on the horizon.

I was heading to my elevated blind where I was hoping to get a few pictures of one of the bears that was leaving scat under some Chinese chestnut trees or at the least, catch a glimpse of a deer or two.

Well, none of those “showed” but I still had a relaxing cool morning.

As I headed in to my spot, I heard a great horned owl calling. They are already beginning to establish pair bonds in anticipation of their nesting in late January.

A few minutes later, an Eastern towhee was calling letting me know that a few haven’t headed south to warmer climes yet.

Next, a few white-throated sparrows chimed in. They have just arrived in our area after breeding farther north. They’ll be around now until late April.

Between my limited hearing and using the Merlin App, I actually heard or saw 27 birds in those two hours. A few yellow-rumped warblers and black-throated green warblers fed in the nearby spruces and were joined by both ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets. The latter will remain in the Times News region throughout the cold winter.

The deer and bear may not have made an appearance, but the chipmunks and gray squirrels were very busy.

The forest floor near the field was covered with red oak acorns, and the squirrels and chipmunks were hard at work gathering fall’s bounty.

Last year, I sat at this same spot a half dozen times where a red squirrel was busy both collecting acorns and chasing away the bigger gray squirrels from his territory. I was a little disappointed when not a single red squirrel was around and I missed the mini nature drama.

At dawn, I watched a flock of about 20 robins take flight from the nearby trees. About 20 minutes later, a second flock followed the first one’s track.

Robins, as you’ve noticed, disappeared from our backyards in late July, and they form small flocks feeding in the woodlots and forests until about this time each fall, when they move a few hundred miles farther south for the winter.

When the sunlight was much higher above the horizon, I realized how pretty the trees were. Sassafras trees were sporting their bright colors and the red maples were almost at their peak.

The oak tree’s leaves were still mostly green, but soon they’ll lose their chlorophyll and brighten up the forest for a short time, eventually turning brown.

The forest floor, just a month ago, was a sea of green from the hay scented ferns, but now they are changing to the brown color they’ll hold until buried by the winter snows.

As I headed back to my pickup, I noticed a lone butter and eggs flower still blooming alongside the fading white snakeroots. I also saw my first scrape of the fall.

A scrape is made by a buck under a low hanging branch where it paws the ground bare, leaving its scent there and on the branch above. This is a sign that the rut is about to begin. Maybe the next few weeks I can take my bird logbook along, sit a little longer, and enjoy watching some deer.

As always, I remind you to get out there. Maybe just find a stump or a log, sit down, be quiet, and watch the almost frantic wildlife activity all around you as autumn progresses, soon to be replaced by the cold winds and bleak looking forests.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: I mentioned still seeing a few warblers on Oct. 9. Which one of these warbler species sometimes actually could be seen here in the dead of winter?

A. redstart B. yellow-rumped warbler C. ovenbird D. parula warbler

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: A bald eagle matures at 5 years of age and from that point keeps its white head and tail.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.