"Out & About" Photo Blog: On the Path <br/>Mid-October 2015

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than one seeks."
— John Muir

I've been taking a small camera with me on my walks lately since things change quickly this time of year. Fall offers lots of colour and the change in seasons brings other things that catch my eye.

Squirrels don't need much of a branch to scramble along. He leapt from this one to another nearby.

I've timed this right a couple times over the years. Walnut trees drop almost all their leaves within a few hours after a hard frost. There are a few dozen Walnut trees along the path so there was a carpet of leaves wherever they were.

I feel like a kid squashing and kicking them as I walk.

Walnut leaves turn a rich yellow.

Trees produce bumper crops of fruit some years. This year some of the walnuts are huge. This one is about the size of a tennis ball.

Red berries always stand out.

Other colors less so but these Buckthorn berries do. Apparently birds eat them as a last resort. It's said that they cause diarrhea in birds.

Norway Maple leaves turn a variety of colors as the next two shots show.

They're also susceptible to tar spot. We're told it's harmless to the trees. The yellow border on the tar spot almost glows.

There's a small woods at the top of the path. It's the only spot on the path where Sugar Maples are. They're the show-offs of autumn. They're gorgeous.

I don't see all that many nests up close. They fascinate me. A bird built it!

There are a few Birch in the woods too. They add contrast.

A tangle of Dog-strangling Vine—some pods open, some not.

More Dog-strangling vine. Invasive or not, it's a nice looking plant in the fall.

Some softer colors.

A pristine fungus. I don't catch a lot at this stage.

I've been watching this log for a few years now. The fungus is only on the most recent growth of the tree.

This looks like the earliest stage of fungal growth. I'll try to remember to check it out now & then to see what develops.

This is interesting. It's a bit hard to make out what you're looking at here. They are wild grape leaves that have been 'skeletonized' by the Grape Leaf Skeletonizer moth larvae. At the caterpillar stage they eat the leaves from the underside, leaving only the veins.

I found this on the web. Fascinating how they line up for dinner. I'll definitely see if I can find some when they're dining. Will probably have to wait 'til next year now.

Queen Anne's Lace. It has a soft, fall look to it now.

I keep an eye on Poison Ivy. Even in the berry stage it can cause problems for us.

Ever wondered why Silver Maple is called Silver Maple? Story has it that it's because the underside of the leaves (see the smaller one) is a 'silver' color. Silver Maple does sound better than Light-green Maple.