Black bears are gaining weight for the winter, feeding heavily on acorns and beechnuts, where available.

The mating calls of crickets and grasshoppers are in the air.

Monarch butterflies have begun their migration south. Most will spend the winter in Mexico, usually arriving there in November.

Usually by mid-September, the leaves of the red maples are just beginning to change color. The fall foliage season normally reaches its peak around the first week of October, although it varies a great deal from year to year.

Note:  The "early autumn" period is the time from approximately September thru mid-October.  Timing of events will vary depending upon your latitude and elevation.