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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Nature Notes: early October


I love the way the grass plumes wave in the wind.
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The mourning dove was preening after her bath on my deck.
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At first I thought the tree had red leaves until I realized it was the vine that was red. My guess is the vine is Virginia Creeper.
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The pokeberries are popular with birds. They are toxic to mammals but the small seeds inside the berry with the toxin remain intact in the birds digestive system and are eliminated whole.
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The geese are almost hidden by the dried flowers on the sandbar.
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I don't know what kind of tree that is below but it certainly is flamboyant this time of year.
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We've had a mix of pretty days and rain over the past week.
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The rufous-sided towhee below was rummaging in my front yard.
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The American Robin was hopping in and out of my front yard bird bath.
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Two American robins and a female cardinal were enjoying my deck baths.
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The American robin looks so different when its feathers are all puffed out.
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The male house finch below was heading to the bath.
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Below is a female and male house finch. The female is rather dour in her beige colors.
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I'm amused by how the squirrel's tail is often the only thing I see of it in the trees.
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Not sure what the rabbit hopes to find in the gutter downspout.
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The female cardinal looks like she's puckering up for a kiss.
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The cardinal has soaked most of the water from the small bath into her feathers.
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The individual trees that have changed colors stand out amidst the green ones still in summer frocks.
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I like the way the dried yarrow looks this time of year.
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I'll end with a lone leaf saturated by rain today.
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8 comments:

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I saw pinkish grass plumes like yours in Singapore.

Leora said...

EG Wow posted pokeberries last week, so I got interested in whether they are invasive or not (sounded like it depended who you asked).

Love your shot of the lake. You live in such a beautiful area.

Is the Virginia creeper not supposed to be doing that to the tree?

eileeninmd said...

I have pokeberries growing all around my yard. The birds should be very happy if they like these berries. I enjoyed your post and all the photos. Have a great day!

EG CameraGirl said...

Nice selection of photos to let us see what mid October looks like in North Carolina. I love the way grass plumes sway in the wind too and I chucked when I saw the rabbit in the downspout!

??? said...

I can't get enough of your bird bath shots, so many gorgeous birds.
The Virginia creeper is lovely. I'm painting one at the moment, from a photo I took, and I love that bright red.

Celeste said...

Lovely autumn photos the birds look as if they really are enjoying 'the facilities.'

Crafty Green Poet said...

lovely photos! That's a funny place to find a rabbit!

Rambling Woods said...

I too love the grass plumes like we have near the pond. I haven't seen any robins in a couple of months as they move on as soon as nesting is over. Your deck baths are so popular....Michelle