A female mallard enjoys a sunny spot on Oct. 8.

Pacific silverweed in autumn dress. This plant, which prefers to live in tidal marshes, has roots which were a staple food in Alaska and Washington. According to the USDA plant database, silverweed roots were dug in large quantities, cooked, and often dried for winter and used as a trade item. The roots were generally harvested in the fall, after the leaves had started to died for the winter. Clumps of roots were pried up with a digging stick, and the edible roots – long and sometimes spindle-shaped, with striated, brown skins, were broken off. The roots were always cooked through boiling or roasting to remove the bitter flavor. After cooking, they taste like parsnips.

Fall descends on the Eagle Beach meadows near the beginning of October.