Nature Notes: The end of Autumn

The shots I'm using for this nature post were all taken on Sunday, and already many of the leaves still on the trees then have dropped.

This has been an unusually long fall in terms of the colorful leaves but once it started speeding up things have changed significantly each day.

I like the browns of fall and winter but it's nice to know there are evergreens that will provide some color into the winter.

I'm glad we're starting to have some bare trees as I find them particularly beautiful in a stark unadorned way.

The wind has kept the paved paths from having the piles of leaves they sometimes collect.

The next shot includes a man on a bike pulling his baby in a tent as well as a runner beside them. I'm sure they are glad the leaves are being blown off the path as they can be tricky if they get wet.

I like the way there is a little bit of everything as the seasons are transitioning.

It was extremely calm on the lake with the ducks and geese primarily in protected coves and few on the main body of water.

This time of the year it seems like the cormorants are glued to the pilings as each time I walk I see them on their favored perches.

As if reading my mind, one flew off its perch to prove it could fly.

I wonder if the mallards below will end up as a couple, they seem to be checking each other out.

These mixed ducks are all in the protected coves.

A group spots me and instead of swimming away they head towards me probably thinking I might have food. They aren't in luck so they move towards the bank while I'm photographing.

I can hear a heron somewhere in the overgrown area but it doesn't appear in my view.

Another unadorned tree catches my eye.

I think the goldenrod seeds in clumps like the ones below look like cotton wool.

The creek catches a reflection where it's not covered in the leaves.

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