"Out & About" Photo Blog: 2nd Marsh -- October 11th, 2011

Fall is firmly entrenched at the marsh. With our trip to France it had been a while since I was at the marsh so I expected even more changes than I saw today. I thought I'd see more color in the trees but since there aren't any Sugar Maples there (lots of Ash & Willows) the leaves were mostly green or muted yellows. Some of the bushes had more colour.

The most noticeable change was that most of the wildflowers have gone, leaving the bulk of the ground plant life in various shades of brown. It was a good day for fungi though.

No wonder they named a pond after him...

There were enough leaves on the boardwalk to get some crunchy sounds as you walked.

Cattails at the Beaver Pond...

Himalayan Balsam... only a few are left now, compared to the 1000s that were there not long ago

Some wildflowers are small... these ones are tiny-- about a third of an inch across.

This fungus is a pure milk white.

A fair number of Jerusalem Artichoke are still blooming but most have shriveled. They do tower over other plants.

The Wild Cucumber has some green seed pods but many of them are already brown.

A mix of colour...

I was at the marsh in mid-afternoon but the grass in shaded areas still had the morning dew.

I especially like golden fungi. These ones are dwarfed by their white cousin.

There are still some red berries to be found but not many.

The berm has lost much of its colour but it still has some.

A few Chicory are still there...

The flowers with nectar available are getting few & far between so the bees, wasps & flies find themselves sharing the ones that are still producing... not without a few squabbles.

An obstacle on the boardwalk... though it's easy to get by.

Farewell Creek... a shot I take in each season.

Farewell & Harmony Creeks merge just north of Colonel Sam Drive.

A soft golden patch of grasses across the road from the merging creeks.

Staghorn Sumac always adds a splash of red in the fall.

A gorgeous grouping of golden fungus that I missed on the way in, but caught on the way back.

The detail of some fungi is intriguing.

Another beautiful cluster...

New England Asters...

I can't say I recall "finery" in the fall in other years but I've become a bit more observant lately and this is only one example of several that I saw today.

There's only one spot in the marsh that I've noticed Forget-Me-Nots... a few are still hanging in there.

Fall is definitely fungi time.

It's dated but there are definitely many firms that have contributed to the marsh and its upkeep. They all deserve our thanks. I wonder what an updated list would show.