The rich, earthy colors of fallen leaves will soon be gone. I searched spring seeps and mossy logs along a woodland trail today, hoping for a few more images to close out the season. These I’ll share:
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
The first snow of the season left its mark on the landscape, in a pleasant sort of way (I don’t dare say that in the village, for fear of being shot). Unfortunately, a cold rain followed, turning the snow into slippery slush.
There was a narrow window of opportunity for “snow shots” this morning, before the rain, and these are some of the highlights.
Cultivated red raspberry, second fruiting
Quaking Aspen leaf
Sugar Maple leaf
Yearling white-tail feeding on persistent foliage (before I showed up)
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
Most of our corn fields have been harvested and miles of tawny stubble now dominate rural landscapes. The dormant fields are exposed, as are the flocks of birds searching for waste grain to fatten up for winter or migratory flights. Where fields occur near surface waters, large flocks of foraging geese are an inescapable landscape element.
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
Wind, rain and dark skies have settled in, arriving at the tail end of a beautiful display of flaming foliage in the countryside. I’m searching for the silver lining — while monitoring storm water and the erosion control practices on my woodlot.
Photos by NB Hunter. All Rights Reserved.
The maple-dominated woodlands of Central New York have been beautiful this week! Sugar Maple and associated deciduous trees are presenting their true colors in a flaming palette of warm and vibrant colors.
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” – L. M. Montgomery
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
Red Oak leaves in the morning sun
An aging Sugar Maple tree. Well beyond its economic prime, but priceless as a visual resource
The third, and final, cutting of hay for the season
The colors and contrasts of dairy farms, active and abandoned
The Hunter’s Supermoon, a rare October treat!
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
Sunrise this morning in Central New York; rain arrived soon after!
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
“Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower.” -Albert Camus
In the fall we track the changing colors of foliage much the same way that we follow the sequence of bloom with spring wildflowers. Leaf peeping is a big event! Early autumn (late September and the first week or so in October in Central New York) is a time of excitement and anticipation, with everyone gazing into a crystal ball to predict peak foliage color and schedule outdoor activities.
A recent trip to my childhood home 400 miles southwest of here reminded me that wishful thinking has no influence on Mother Nature’s timetable! The river bottom watersheds in western Pennsylvania were still very green, leading me to explore the more detailed landscapes in front of my nose.
Kiskiminetas River, viewed from the Roaring Run Recreation Trail; Apollo, PA
Marbled Orbweaver spider, building a web
A tussock moth caterpillar on the move
After returning to Central New York, I began to see a bit more color but summer greens were still dominant. Warm temperatures, plenty of sun and the absence of a hard frost have resulted in a gradual transition from summer to fall, with a pleasing overlap of the seasons.
Woodman Pond and resting geese
Woodland ferns and a hint of autumn
Chenango Canal and the canal towpath trail
Sulphur butterfly on asters
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
Nick's Nature Pics 