Fall Leaves
Today is a rare fall day when the sun is clear, the temperature is comfortable and the leaves are kicking into full glory. So I wanted to share some beautiful colors of the season.
This post is purely for enjoyment.
The next few weeks will be the last of any color for many months to come. Every year, the colors of the leaves vary. That is due to the summer's temperatures and precipitation levels.
Summer was particularly dry this year, which makes for the most brilliant fall colors.
The sugar maples are my personal favorite and I always go searching for those bright red leaves. These are the trees that produce maple syrup in the spring.
Some years, the leaves are drab in their shades of brown. But this year, the golds, crimsons, and burnt oranges are simply brilliant.
Earlier today there was a musical symphony in the forest that surrounds my yard. All the grackles were beginning their annual departure for warmer climes.
They've got the right idea in my opinion! The weather is about to take a real nosedive soon, and their intuitive sense of when to go always amazes me.
If you are unfamiliar with grackles, they are a large blackbird with an iridescent sheen that varies between turquoise, purple and green.
As much as I love birds, these feathered friends tend to bully out the other birds in their quest to devour all the seed in the feeders during spring and summer. So I'm not a huge fan of them, but I do miss their familiarity once they depart.
I've taken thousands of bird images over the years and you'd think I would have a picture of a grackle somewhere, but I couldn't find one. So this stock image will have to suffice.
When grackles perch in the pine trees squawking with full fury, the sound is remarkable. You hear them but can't always see them.
And as one decides to fly on to the next spot in their journey, suddenly birds just seemingly pop out of the trees to follow the leader.
For anyone afraid of birds, it is reminiscent of a scene out of "The Birds." But I find it fascinating.
Over the course of several hours, literally thousands of these birds will have perched, squawked and then left. And when they go, it's like the volume just turned to zero.
Nature has its own rules, its own ebb and flow and it is a scene to behold.
This time of year also wraps up some local visitors like this little girl below. She's been coming around for a few years now and really makes herself at home.
I'll leave you with a few other fall images to enjoy.
The above image is of my neighbor's lane way. It's quite picturesque!
The one below is of a local farm that also has a great view of the leaves.
Have a great day WA and take a moment to stop and enjoy the natural beauty in your neck of the woods.
Recent Comments
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Those pics are beautiful, but I left the Northeast over 25 years ago for a slightly less spectacular area in southwest Iowa. Shorter winter by 3-4 months from your area. Lived/worked in Deseronto, Ontario for 4.5 years among native people. Enjoyed it and almost didn't leave, but my wife got homesick for USA...so here we are.
Thanks for the share. Reminds me of the times we pastored in Newport, Vermont (10.5 years), saw all the snow I ever want to see, but the foliage was wonderful.
A shorter winter sounds good to me no matter where it is. The seasons are nice but winters are not, as you are most aware of. Soon it’ll be time for me to move on as well. Thanks for sharing.
This is lovely, trees have such beautiful colours this time of year.
Those birds are beautiful and I fell in love with the little fur baby! When I walked Luna today the trees around the edge of the park were showing some very pretty colours, gold, orange, russet. Mother Nature’s colours can beat any artist’s palette any day!
So true, Karen...Mother Nature is the best artist. I'm glad you are able to enjoy all of it with Luna as well. This little raccoon is quite the character and even more amusing when she brings her buddies around too. Glad you enjoyed the read :-)
Thanks for the amazing photos. It warms my heart when I see pictures of the trees in colorful glory. It reminds me of the South Island of New Zealand where I grew up.
Your neighbors lane is incredibly beautiful and if I lived there I would forever be walking up and down that lane.
Hope you are feeling better and keep these wonderful posts flowing.
Stephen
You are very welcome, Stephen. I so enjoy sharing small bits of beauty when I catch them. I can imagine you must miss seeing the seasons of NZ. Yes, that lane way is one of my personal fave spots. I'm mesmerized by it and wish I could walk through there and kick up some of the leaves. I'm on the mend but now but without a voice...my family is relieved lol! Thank you so much for your kind words :-)
Hey Susan! Firstly I hope you are feeling better my friend, by the positive vibes in this post I assume you are!
Some wonderful pictures here and thanks for sharing some knowledge about "grackles", I don't believe they reside here in my current neck of the woods!!
But your "little girl" is the cream of the crop! If I had visitors like like that then I would hope that they stay all year round... if not, I could see myself adopting her!!
Take care my friend and enjoy the rest of your week! :-))
Hey Nick! Thanks so much for your kind words...I am feeling much better but my voice is gone which is super frustrating.
Glad you liked the pictures and my little girl. She's a cutie and in the spring there are many more with babies to boot. You'd get a kick out of that! They appear in March and stay until the fall, then I reckon they sleep the winter away.
Thanks again, my friend. Enjoy the rest of your week...and I hope you're feeling better too! :-))
Oh you wouldn't believe. We had an original group of 4 many years ago and each year they have babies, and others also show up with their broods. They are TOO cute. Some years we might have 10-15 babies. They make the funniest sounds and are so curious.
I'm an animal lover too...they are precious. I'll see if I can find some photos from last season's forest zoo and if I do, I'll post them :-)
Well I am happy to hear that you are feeling much better Susan, but sorry about the voice...
Sleeping the winter away sounds like a great plan!
Unfortunately, it looks like it will take a while to resolve my issue, but it is what it is my friend!
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Thank you west2000 for the beautiful images. I am in awe on how beautiful nature can be but also how natural can destroy.
Natural is unpredictable at times but when it is calm is can really take your breath away. These images show how peaceful on how this world could be if only we could come together and work as one.
Thank you so much for showing the beauty of nature the way it was intended to be.
Mary
Hi Mary…I agree. Nature, when peaceful is a sight of beauty. I’m very glad you enjoyed my images. Thank you for dropping by!
Susan
Hi Susan, Nature is the most beautiful thing that we have to admire. But we have to take the time to look at it and it is very calming if we let it be. And yes I do admire your images they really made the statement of how nature can be.
Mary
Thank you Mary. I appreciate that. 🍂
You are so very welcome it was my pleasure.
Mary