<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Wait, did that Anna's male just do a "J" dive display?! Have you been hearing bird song or observing somewhat unseasonal behavior lately? We have begun to enjoy the annual avian phenomenon that's based upon <span class="" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">partial reactivation of breeding behavior. Whether triggered by the effects of changing light levels on birdy hormones (the prevailing explanation), or other factors, the shift has p</span>oetically become known as, "The Autumnal Recrudescence of the Amatory Urge." Please honor Susan Stiles, who gave us this lovely bit of verse (plus thanks to Dennis Paulson and Teri Martine):<br class=""><div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><font class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><span class=""><font class="">"The Autumnal Recrudescence of the Amatory Urge" - by Susan Stiles (December 1973)</font></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><font class=""><br class=""></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">When the birds are cacaphonic in the trees and on the verge</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">Of the fields in mid-October when the cold is like a scourge.</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">It is not delight in winter that makes feathered voices surge,</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">But autumnal recrudescence of the amatory urge.</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><font class=""><br class=""></font></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">When the frost is on the punkin' and when leaf and branch diverge,</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">Birds with hormones reawakened sing a paean, not a dirge.</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">What's the reason for their warbling? Why on earth this late-year splurge?</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><span class=""><font class="">The autumnal recrudescence of the amatory urge.</font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="" style="direction: ltr;"><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><font class=""><br class=""></font><div class=""><div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><div class="x_BodyFragment" style="border: 0px; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><font class=""><span style="border: 0px; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;" class=""><div class="x_PlainText elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; color: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;" class=""><font class="">In my humble opinion, the scientifically best and yet 'readable' article (2016) on the general topic, is by the wonderful "GrrlScientist" (</font></span><a href="https://about.me/grrlscientist" class="" style="font-variant-caps: inherit; font-style: inherit;">https://about.me/grrlscientist</a><span class="" style="color: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><font class="">): </font></span><span style="color: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;" class="">"</span><font class="" style="font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(41, 41, 41); letter-spacing: -0.011em;"><span class="">Why do songbirds sing in autumn?</span></font><span style="color: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;" class="">"</span></div><div class="x_PlainText elementToProof" style="font-style: inherit; border: 0px; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><div class=""><span style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;" class=""> </span><a href="https://medium.com/@GrrlScientist/why-do-songbirds-sing-in-the-autumn-grrlscientist-2017eeec7e03" class="" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">https://medium.com/@GrrlScientist/why-do-songbirds-sing-in-the-autumn-grrlscientist-2017eeec7e03</a><span style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;" class=""> </span></div><div class=""> </div><div class=""><font class=""> </font></div><div class=""><font class="">Elaine Chuang</font></div><div class=""><font class="">Seattle</font></div><div class=""><font class=""> elc at uw dot edu</font></div></div></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br class=""></div></div><br class=""></body></html>