….a distinctive plant with its reddish drupe protruding at the top of the shrub
New Flower (Sept. 29, 2016) – Sumac
Reply
Category Archives: nature photography
The Changing Seasons: September 2016
….a new challenge hosted by Cardinal Guzman
September felt like July/August. The school year started with a heat wave. I’m not complaining. It was a beautiful month and when the first day of autumn came around so did the change in the weather. Cool evenings (great for sleeping) and warm afternoons. It’s hard to know how to dress for the day. One definitely needs a sweater or jacket for the mornings but long sleeves and jeans feel too warm later in the day.
The gardens are starting to fade but there is still a lot of colour. Berries and seed pods are starting to replace blooms. The lake is taking on new cool colours of blue and turquoise and the wind is stirring up the waves.
The Last Days of Summer
….normally we start to experience cooler temperatures before the onset of autumn
The first day of fall is only one day away, September 22. You would hardly know that by the clothes people wear to work and out on the street. Sandals, shorts and sleeveless tops and dresses are still the norm. Even the evenings are still pleasantly warm.
Today I witnessed sailboats out on the lake in the late afternoon hours and the swans, geese and ducks are in no hurry to fly south. There are signs, though, that autumn is close at hand. The leaves are starting to change colour, many flowers are starting to whither, plants are going to seed and bushes are ripe with red and purple berries.
New Flower (Sept. 20, 2016) – Hot Red Peppers
….the fruit of the plant
New Flower (Sept. 19, 2016) -Juniper Berries
….not exactly a flower but lovely to look at none the less
New Flower (Sept. 16, 2016)- Queen Anne’s Lace
…..in late summer this delicate and lacy wild flower goes to seed
New Flower (Sept.7, 2016) – Milkweed Pod
…..when in bloom this plant provides a major source of food for bees and butterflies
Busy as a Bee
….the bees and wasps have been very busy the last few weeks
More Night Shots at the Cottage
….thanks for all the encouragement the last time I posted night shots
This week my birthday/anniversary gift arrived in the mail. I received a macro lens for my camera and I couldn’t wait to try it out. Once again I walked around the cottage and the beach just as the sun was setting to find play with my new toy. Here are some of the shots I took last night.
Night Visitor at the Cottage
….most wildlife at the cottage is pretty much unseen
When I arrived at the cottage last week I heard from a couple of my neighbours that a fox and her four kits lived close by. Usually the fox stay back in the woods but this mom and her family have been seen during the day checking out the area around the cottages looking for handouts.
The second night at the cottage I heard a very loud and strange sound. At first I thought it was the young man next door sneezing loudly. When I heard it a second time it sounded more like a woman screaming. The third yelp was clearly closer to the cottage and the sound was a half animal and half human cry. After several strange screams I heard the neighbours start to come out of their cottages.
D from next door was walking up the road with her head lamp on and soon saw that the noise was coming from the mother fox. She continued with her crying for a little while longer but we have no idea why she was so traumatized. Eventually she left and the rest of the evening was relatively quiet. There has been some speculation that the fisher in the neighbourhood may have gotten one of her kits.
Like I said earlier much of the wildlife on the island stays out of site and in the evening when you’re walking along a path you have to be careful not to step on the toads. One evening I went to the water barrel to wash my hands and I heard a rustle in the leaves. When I looked down I saw the biggest toad I’ve ever laid eyes on. With the aid of my lantern I was able to get a couple of shots of him before he jumped away.
Mama Cormier 