Saturday was a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi. The mid day weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 46 degrees and a steady wind out of the south. Before descending the hill toward Mallard Marsh, I paused to look far to the southwest and noticed how the willow trees at Willow Wallow had turned a beautiful amber color. Walking through Bobolink Meadow, I observed that the color of the field was mainly due to the brown and beige Golden Rod along with a few patches of golden Reed Canary grass and some green Autumn Olive leaves. Also, I was surprised at the sight of a Sulfur butterfly with its pastel yellow wings flying next to the trail. I turned at the entrance to North Woods and followed the trail of still green grass south toward Willow Wallow. I turned west at the pond and continued around Succession Field where I noticed that most of the remaining leaves on the trees were the rusty red, burnt orange and deep brown oak leaves. Walking along the far west trail, I noticed a few bronze-colored dragonflies buzzing around. Following the path along the edge of South Woods, I was pleased to see a Downy Woodpecker land on a Birch tree and begin to peck away. Pausing at Artist Overlook, I heard a few distant crows calling out. Crows are highly social birds, more often seen in groups than alone. In addition to roosting and foraging in flocks, crows often stay together in year-round family groups that consist of the breeding pair and offspring from the past two years. The whole family cooperates to raise young. They are not true migrators. Winter roosts of crows sometimes number in the thousands. Often admired for their intelligence, crows can work together, devise solutions to problems, and recognize unusual sources of food. Some people regard this resourcefulness and sociality as an annoyance when it leads to large flocks around dumpsters, landfills, and roosting sites. Crows work together to harass or drive off predators, a behavior known as mobbing. Next, I continued along the south trail where I could see patches of maroon-colored branches of leafless Dogwood shrubs. Turning north at Frog Fen, I climbed Reflection Hill to see only a small number of green Phragmites plants on the north edge of Grebe Pond. It appeared that the herbicide application of a year ago had done the job and kept the plants from spreading. Right near the Phragmites, I once again spotted a Great Blue Heron standing on a log. I descended the hill and proceeded across the boardwalk where the burgundy-red branches of this year’s new growth of willow could be easily seen on my right. I arrived back at the Classroom Building. got in the van, drove down the drive way where I noticed a large number of cue ball-size walnut husks scattered on the front lawn under the walnut trees. Finally, I turned south and headed for home.
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member.
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds.
November!
Thomas Hood
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