Nature Notes: A new Month

I am so glad to see a new month begin with more and more signs of fall.

When I first saw the cardinal above on the banks of the lake I thought it was a red leaf. Then I spotted a real red leaf below. I think that's a maple tree.

At my house more and more of the sweet gum leaves are changing colors (shot below).

My dogwood tree is also changing to its fall colors. However, it will be almost two months before the oak trees change where I live.

I thought it looked like a cocoon was being spun on the feather below.

I spotted several mushrooms like the one below that looked like the kind I buy at the grocery store.

Other mushrooms I spotted were a lot more suspicious as far as being edible.

I wish I knew more about mushrooms but I'd never have the nerve to pick them from the ground to eat. I'm pretty sure the ones below are poisonous.

The mourning dove below was hanging out in my roof gutters.

My gutters need cleaning so I hope the extra weight from the dove doesn't prove too much.

My pecan tree is filled with pecans and hopefully I'll get a few before the squirrels take them all.

I love the way porcelain vine berries look.

I like the porcelain vines with the variegated leaves.

Dragonflies and damselflies seem to love to sit on top of car antennae.

The tree below is one I spotted at the lake and I'm not sure what kind it is but it's changing colors fast. It may be a sweet gum like mine that's changing already.

There were a lot of ducks hanging out under the trees at a little cove's bank off Shelley Lake.

It wasn't very hot but they seemed to be staying in the shade.

I don't know what the vine with white flowers is below.

The dragonfly below looked like it was staring at me.

I'm not sure what kind it is.

One more thing I can't identify below. It's starting to bud.

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