Robin's nest from August, now empty and exposed. What a different view, all the green leaves gone, and branches bare.
I love the peeling papery bark of the birch tree, it's such a warm pale cinnamon color.
It gives me warm fuzzies remembering the Robin snug in her nest with her babies. It's sad (in a sentimental kind of way) seeing the nest empty. I'll always look at this tree and picture the little heads popping up, waiting to be fed.
Red berries with soft yellow leaf-petals. Innocent and cheerful.
And, wow, all over the place crazy climbing up huge trees.
Berries everywhere, and loops and loops of woody vines circling around huge trees. I wonder what the berries are called, and if any bird or animal eats them.
More twisty decor, a fall garland.
Happy weekend, and have a cozy extra hour of sleep!
Back in August, the pods were sage and smooth, hopping with Chickadees. I miss the green very very much so, but I love the season change. Are you missing the green, cozy with leaves falling, or a little of both?
Pointy-top mushrooms poking up through twigs and pine needles. Some were incredibly tiny, in little clusters. I have such a fondness for miniatures.
The center of the mushroom is a prime water-filling spot. It would make an excellent pool for a tiny frog (or a fairy). Think of all the functional and decorative images of mushrooms from children's books. Mushrooms as shelter, seating, hiding spot, napping place.
With water instead of pine needles in the background, I could mistake this for a sea sponge or sea coral.
Cone-shaped, with bright red-orange tops appearing freshly-painted.
Some were smaller than a grain of rice.
I hope you enjoyed your mushroom tour. Happy Monday!
Beaver swimming at dusk, gliding silently through the water.
Raindrops clinging to a cluster of red berries.
Pine needles blanketing water.
More colorful autumn leaves.
Spider web hammock, coated in raindrops, not dewdrops.
What makes you feel real peaceful-like?
"Nunziatella" - paper necklace made with marbled paper from Italy, and Swarovski crystals. I love this stone-patterned paper, in bubbling raspberry and plum.
Purple Finch male, with warm raspberry-toned feathers.
The area around his eye is soft plum, and there are faint patches of cream blended with raspberry on his chest. I'm continually amazed by the colors and patterns in nature.
Tufted Titmouse, mid-September, with a plucked berry, pinched by the stem. Birds have different techniques for eating their berries. Red-eyed Vireos are big gulpers. They ate massive amounts of berries in September.
Tufties are like Chickadees - they hold food with their feet. I had no idea they did this with berries too!
Northern Flicker. A little flailing and some wing splaying from this gorgeous bird.
Robin, another gulper.
All of a sudden there were four, five, six fat Robins going to town on the berries in late September.
Any fables come to mind when you look at this? It reminds me of "The Fox And The Grapes".
Action shot! I love this! These birds work hard for their berries. Seriously. Lots of diving, tumbling, dipping, falling. Some of their berry pursuits are adorably clumsy.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (yellow rump obscured by feathers).
Black-throated Blue Warbler, the first I've ever seen.
Other berry partakers: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Purple Finches, Hermit Thrushes (who were gulping berries yesterday, amid a dusting of snow), Black-capped Chickadees, Eastern Phoebes, Blue-headed Vireos...
An entertaining bird berry-getting maneuver - the dive and peck - flying at the berry like a target, nipping it mid-flight - like Superman swooping down, rescuing someone, and zipping off...
Blue Jay, trying to think of the word for the tiny bits of snow fluttering down on a mid-October day. A dusting? Kind of, though it's not sticking. Flurries? Hmm. Bigger flakes required.
A powder-like mist of speckles of stuff that is definitely snow. An almost-snow. A micro-dusting.
A little bit of a deja vu.
{A few hours pass.}
But wait...
Stickage. I'm calling it. This is a full-on light dusting of the extra gentle variety, folks.
Saw this pretty pigeon in the road on the way to see the alpacas last month.
I love its coloring, and the iridescent patch of green on its neck.
Someone's keeping track of it - it has bands on its ankles. Do you think it could be a homing pigeon?
I'm very curious about this fellow and where he's off to.
There he goes, padding down the road, like the end of many movies. Except no sunset or beach, just the protagonist on his way somewhere...
Falling leaf, drifting slowly down on an autumn day, with a golden tree in the background.
Drifting veeerrry slowly... Maybe a little too slow? Turning in place in the wind. Not continuing on down like the other falling leaves.
It wasn't until the sun shone just so that I saw it was a leaf marionette, puppeteered by spider silk. You can see the line of silk to the left of the blue sky.
I love puppets and marionettes, and I've made a few small puppets out of felt. When the mood strikes, I'll make puppets again, maybe with paper, like Crankbunny. If I make some, I'll share them with you.
