<div dir="ltr">I have recited this poem for 15 years in my role as Lead Naturalist at Seward Park Audubon Center...a beautiful "paean" for this annual phenomenon.<div><br></div><div>Ed Dominguez</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 5:14 PM Elaine Chuang via Tweeters <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div style="line-break:after-white-space">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 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><div><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><font><br></font></div><div><div><div><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><span><font>"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><div><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><font><br></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><div><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><font><br></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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:medium;padding:0px"><div style="direction:ltr"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><span><font>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><div style="line-break:after-white-space"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><div style="direction:ltr"><div style="overflow-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><font><br></font><div><div style="border:0px;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><div style="border:0px;font-variant-caps:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit"><font><span style="border:0px;font-variant-caps:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit"><div style="border:0px;font-variant-caps:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit"><span style="font-style:inherit;color:inherit;font-variant-caps:inherit"><font>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" style="font-variant-caps:inherit;font-style:inherit" target="_blank">https://about.me/grrlscientist</a><span style="color:inherit;font-variant-caps:inherit;font-style:inherit"><font>): </font></span><span style="color:inherit;font-variant-caps:inherit">"</span><font style="font-variant-caps:inherit;color:rgb(41,41,41);letter-spacing:-0.011em"><span>Why do songbirds sing in autumn?</span></font><span style="color:inherit;font-variant-caps:inherit">"</span></div><div style="font-style:inherit;border:0px;font-variant-caps:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit"><div><span style="color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant-caps:inherit">  </span><a href="https://medium.com/@GrrlScientist/why-do-songbirds-sing-in-the-autumn-grrlscientist-2017eeec7e03" style="font-style:inherit;font-variant-caps:inherit" target="_blank">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">    </span></div><div>  </div><div><font>            </font></div><div><font>Elaine Chuang</font></div><div><font>Seattle</font></div><div><font>  elc at uw dot edu</font></div></div></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div><br></div>_______________________________________________<br>
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