Before winter comes and while autumn is in all its glory, I thought that I should post at least one fall foliage scene. Figure 1 is from one of my favorite places the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. It is always glorious, especially in fall and winter. Here, the colors of the distant trees reflect once more in the pond, caught her in the waning light of late afternoon. I shutter a bit to think of the coming darkness – just a few weeks from the advent of the return to standard time. I thought we weren’t going to do that this year, but I was wrong.

I am always struck as summer transitions into fall how even the non-migratory birds are moved to a frenzy. Every wing is fluttering madly about – every bird stuffing itself with seeds and berries. I used to muse (probably heard it from my father) that the sparrows and starlings were arguing in great avian counsels whether or not to migrate. We hear a chirp or a litany of chirps and wonder “who dat?” More often than not the answer is that the sound is from a northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos – the multi-language mime).

The other morning at the Allyn Cox Reservation I took the photograph of Figure 1 of a mockingbird singing in defiance of a windy early autumn morning.

Canon T2i with EF 100-400 mm F/4.5 to 5.6 L IS USM lens at 375 mm, ISO 100 Aperture Priority AE Aperture Priority Mode 1/4000th sec at f/7.1 with no exposure compensation.

Early fall is such a wonderful time to explore and poke around. Two weekends ago we went to Newburyport, MA and walked along the Merrimack River. There is an antique barn there and I found the balustrade ornament or sculpture of Figure 1. It is such a marvelous classical and knowing face, and I find the blue color absolutely wonderful.

The seasons are changing rapidly now. Fall and then winter seem to be approaching ever so rapidly. We are now bathed in all the glory of New England autumn. To mark the occasion or more accurately the transition I wanted to share the image of Figure 1 – the last of the lotuses at Great Meadow. Despite the drought it has been a glorious summer comeback for the lotus flowers. In this photograph is just a hint of last summer’s glories. Water clings to the pad in giant droplets, the tones mute towards a quiet magenta, and truly summer’s decay has begun.

Summer’s last big bang on the Massachusetts North Shore is the fireworks on Labor Day over the Gloucester Harbor. This year TC and I joined the festivities. First, I have to ask, what is the appeal of Fried Dough? Fried dough is a blob of deep fried dough smothered in sugar – aka a heart attack special! One sees it, or worse eats it at all earthy gatherings. It is, along with hot dogs, corn dogs, and sausage hoagies the thing that keeps me out of politics! But I digress.

I just had to take the iPhone photo of Figure 1 showing Old Glory, the moon, and fireworks over the boats gathered in Gloucester Harbor. Now to the glories of fall and at year’s end the coming of Santa Claus to the wharf in Rockport!

The image of Figure 1 showing Avalon granites was taken at Cape Hedge Beach on a moody and foggy afternoon a couple of weeks ago, The rock formations are solid and permanent while the sands are always shifting. there have lately been some marvelous and dramatic waves that summon all of the surfers. Of course, truth in fact the granites and their companion basalts aren’t really permanent either. They only seem so on a human time scale. Slowly, but unstoppably, the sea dissolves and erodes them all. For me, the science is always in my head and adds to the beauty and the magic.

I thought today, Figure1, Birches at Sunset from Cape Hedge Beach, Rockport, MA. Here done as a tritone with an emphasis on the white birches, gleaming in the failing light. It was as always, even on the coldest winter day, a glorious sunset. A successful photograph? I’m not sure.

I seem to be completing some photographer’s list of marsh land birds! This morning was particularly hot at the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, and I was lucky enough to photograph the juvenile green heron (Butorides virescens) of Figure 1. He was fishing in one of the outlets to the river and was well hidden by the vegetation. At one point he headed among the plants and lunged unsuccessfully at a little bullfrog. Fortunately for the frog it managed to escape leaping onto a flat of mud.

I personally have never seen green herons at Great Meadows before. I’ve photographed them in Black’s Nook in Cambridge and in Florida. Because of their iridescent greens they are one of my favorites.

Canon T2i with 100-400 mm f/4.5 to 5.6 L USM IS lens at 210 mm, Aperture Priority AE Mode, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec at f/7.1 with no exposure compensation

The ultimate photographic quarry at Great Meadows, indeed most of the New England wetlands is undoubtedly the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) – always such a beauty. As I’ve discussed during our late summer drought both the herons and the egrets as well as their prey are clustered along what remains of the little streams at the Great Meadows National Wildlife refuge. Figure 1 – is an image of one that I took yesterday that is a compliment to my postings of great egrets and a night heron. Here the heron is set up against the lush greenery of the lotuses.

I feel a certain sadness, for our wild places lately. No matter how wild they are, there is always this sense of pollution and intrusion. And, of course, there is the deep stain of climate change everywhere that you turn. In the wild you always have a sense of the cycles of nature and of biological evolution. Look at these great birds, the great blue herons. With the excfeption perhaps of the wild turkeys, they are the firs to raise te hair on the back of the neck as the words “Welcome, to jurassic Park” run through your head!

Canon T2i with 100-400 mm f/4.5 to 5.6 L USM IS lens at 220 mm, Aperture Priority AE Mode, ISO 1600, 1/2000 sec at f/8 with no exposure compensation