Fall officially began two weeks ago but often the calendar doesn’t align with what we see, and fall colors are only just starting to appear. We’re probably a week or two away from peak color but you can get glimpses, as this view of Half Moon Pond in Hancock shows. Water cools slower than the air and fog forms on lakes, ponds and rivers most mornings now.
While at the pond I took some photos of marsh St. John’s wort seed pods, which are an amazing shade of red. It’s particularly amazing to me because it is one of the few shades of red in nature that I can actually see. Colorblindness plays havoc with reds and blues for me.
Though the drive down this dirt road was mostly green there was quite a bit of yellow to be seen as well. Birches turn yellow and usually do so quite early.
This black birch (Betula lenta) was half green and half yellow. This tree’s bark looks like cherry bark but the twigs have an unmistakable taste of wintergreen, so nibbling on a twig is the easiest way to identify it. Black birch was once harvested, shredded and distilled to make oil of wintergreen, and so many were taken that they can be very hard to find now. Most are found on private property rather than in the forest where they were harvested.
This witch hazel was also half green and half yellow, but in a very different way. Once this shrub loses all its leaves it will bloom. Witch hazel is our latest flower; I’ve seen them even in January.
At this time of year small black witch hats can be seen on some witch hazel leaves. They are actually the gall of the witch hazel gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis). These galls won’t hurt the plant, but they do look a little strange. They are called nipple galls or cone heads.
The yellow ribbons along the edges of the old road were made of ferns and wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis.) Native Americans used the root of this plant as emergency food and it was also once used to make root beer.
The ripe berries of autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) signal fall’s arrival. It’s a terribly invasive plant originally from Japan but also very fragrant in spring. Its wonderful fragrance overlaps that of lilacs and honeysuckle and smelling all 3 mingled together is a little slice of heaven that I look forward to each spring.
It looks like it’s going to be a good year for burning bushes (Euonymus alatus,) both in color and berries.
The color of burning bushes can vary considerably, from red to pink to magenta. These along the river have chosen vivid magenta this year. The many berries will ripen from greenish white to orangey red and the birds will eat them quickly, and that’s what makes this plant so invasive. Once they become established they can take over large areas of forest and create enough shade so native plants don’t have a chance.
Fall is the time when more colorful crust fungi appear. This orange one, which I believe is Stereum complicatum, is the first I’ve seen. This fungus is usually brown and I’m not sure if it changes color in the fall or if some of them decide they want to be orange. Of course, I might also have the identification wrong, but it’s very pretty no matter its name and I like seeing it in the woods.
I don’t know if day length or cooler temperatures trigger the need to produce spores in jelly fungi, but I see more of the jelly like fruiting bodies in the fall and winter than I do at other times of year. So far I’ve never been able to find an explanation for why that is.
But I do know that it’s great to come across bright orange jelly fungi in the dead of winter, even if it is frozen solid. I think this one’s name is orange witch’s butter (Dacrymyces palmatus,) which isn’t in the same family as yellow witches’ butter (Tremella mesenterica.) It likes to grow on fallen pines and often looks like it is being squeezed out of voids in the bark, but that’s because it actually grows on the wood of the log and not the bark.
A huge old oak tree was a sea of green except for this one branch which had turned yellow. If this entire tree turns that color it’s really going to be something to see.
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) continues its long, slow change from green to red. Though some trees and bushes seem to change color overnight, Virginia creeper won’t be rushed. This photo was taken on a rare rainy day so the leaves were shinier than they would normally be.
I visited one of my favorite cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) groves hoping to see them wearing orange but instead I saw mostly yellow and green. I don’t know if they’ll go from yellow to orange or not, but I’ll keep checking. Cinnamon ferns get their common name from their cinnamon brown fertile fronds that appear in spring.
This is what I was hoping to see in the cinnamon fern grove. Seeing that many ferns wearing this color is kind of amazing.
There is a spot on the Ashuelot River to the north of town where one tree turns color before all of the others. I can’t get close enough to it to know for sure but I think it’s a maple. It certainly is bright, whatever it is.
There is still more green than other colors along the river, but pink, yellow, and orange can be seen here and there. This is one of my favorite places to walk in the fall. Before too long the colors here will be astounding.
Since I started with a photo of Half Moon Pond I’ll end with one too, taken with my cell phone just 2 days ago in the early morning light. It shows the promise of things to come, I think. Everyone has been wondering what this extended drought would do to the fall colors but from what I’ve seen so far things look to be fairly normal. One theory says that fall will be colorful but brief and that could prove to be true, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile I’ll enjoy being inside this beautiful kaleidoscope of colors.
An autumn forest is such a place that once entered, you never look for the exit. ~Mehmet Murat ildan
Thanks for coming by.
Nice bookends.
Thank you Ben.
Those first and last photos are stunning. Our autumn doesn’t seem to have really got going yet but it will never be as bright as yours. Your pictures took me right back to Toronto last year and made me wish I was there again now!
Thanks! I thought you were coming over again this year, but I could have misunderstood. I do hope you get to see the colors in person again sometime!
You’ve got more autumn color than we do right now. I didn’t know about the witch hats on the witch hazel.
I’m not sure why but your comments went to the spam folder and I just found them.
Yes, those little witch hat galls are common on witch hazel in this area.
Beautiful autumn scenery, and I love the last shot with New England’s signature colors in the trees! Looks like a beautiful morning on Half Moon Pond. Nice shot!
I remember way back when people were being encouraged to plant autumn olive for wildlife. It does get invasive.
Thank you Lavinia. Half Moon Pond is small but beautiful. It’s a great place to see the colors changing.
Yes, autumn olive is really invasive in some areas. At least it has edible berries and fragrant flowers.
Wow, what a fine way to open a close a post, the photos of Half Moon Pond were gorgeous! For that matter, everything in between was also.
I think that the color season is going to be short, but spectacular. I shot some photos of the first colors showing on Sunday, and reshot them again on Monday because so much more of the trees had turned color. It looks like the same thing is happening there.
I hope that you return to that spot on the Ashuelot River and catch all the leaves after they’ve turn color, I loved that shot the way that it is now, it will be even better with more color.
Thanks Jerry! I’m lucky to be able to see Half Moon Pond each day. It goes through some amazing changes.
Yes, trees are turning fast here too and some leaves are starting to fall, but so far it seems normal. I hope it lasts long enough to get some good shots of it and I hope you’ll get some too.
That spot along the river is one of my favorites and I visit it quite often. The sun sets behind the trees and in the fall it’s like they’re on fire, so I’ll definitely be watching!
It looks as though you will have some very nice colors this fall. I will be content to enjoy your photos: the colors here seem to be short-lived or subdued this year, although the larch is just beginning to turn.
Thanks Montucky! They say that foliage season will be brief here too. It’s too bad that yours isn’t as colorful. It’s hard to know what affects them. I’ve always heard you need a lot of rain to have good fall color but that has proven untrue here. I’m looking forward to seeing those larches.
The drought has been awful! So grateful the colors are putting on their show. Such a great last shot.
Thank you Jocelyn. So far the colors seem normal but the drought goes on. We’re about 15 1/2 inches below average rainfall.
Really beautiful photos! I hope we’ll have some good color here, soon.
Thank you Sue. I thought you were probably ahead of us!
A very promising start to the autumn colour season. The picture of half Moon Pond was a knockout.
Thank you. I think it’s going to be a colorful time of it.
It is good to see the crust and jelly fungi – your macro shots are excellent. I also love the autumn colour shots you have taken and look forward to your next post.
Thank you Clare. The colors are getting more intense by the day, but my next post won’t be about fall colors, I’m afraid. It’ll probably be the one after that if everything goes according to plant and it doesn’t rain.
I look forward to all your posts Allen, no matter what you write about.
Thank you!
🙂
Lovely post, I enjoyed every photo, but especially the last…such a peaceful and beautiful place.
Thank you. Yes, Half Moon Pond is a very quiet and peaceful place, and beautiful at all times of year.
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays and commented:
Thank you, Allen. Lovely photos as usual. The colors of the burning bush seems more pink than earthy red. How strange it is to be that color. Have a lovely Wednesday. Namaste
You’re welcome, and thank you Agnes. That is an odd color to find in nature but these bushes turn that color quite frequently in the fall. None of them turn red, which does seem strange.
I hope your weekend is a good one, and hurricane free.
Thank you, Allen, for sharing the lessons with nature. Happy weekend to you too. We’re situated at SW of PA .. so .. I don’t think that it will affect us much .. we’re probably about 350 to 400 miles inward .. maybe some wind .. Happy Thursday. Namaste
Such beautiful photos, Allen. Have you ever tasted autumn olives? They’re quite astringent, so the really ripe ones are best, and spit out the seed. I’m going to hike Shannon’s Trail at Crotched Mountain tomorrow. It’s going to be a beautiful day, and I’m excited to see the view at the top. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos as fall progresses!
There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Thank you Paula. No, I never have tasted them but I’ve heard they’re quite good.
Have fun on your hike! I wish I could be out walking instead of working. This weekend I hope to see Indian Pond in Chesterfield for the first time.
Thanks for the quote! I haven’t seen that one.
Great glimpse of things to come. I don’t think peak will last very long this year because of the drought, but it will be spectacular while it lasts.
That’s what they’re saying but I guess we’ll see. I’d better take more photos quickly!
Wow, the burning bush is so bright. There was a documentary on BBC about autumn time in New Hampshire some time ago and I remember its stunning shot of colourful forests. Looking forward to your posts.
Thank you. Burning bush fall colors can be very intense sometimes and this looks like a year for that.
In fact I think most trees and shrubs will be colorful this year despite the dryness, so I shouldn’t have any trouble getting more photos.
My favorite time of year, I’ve been out and about anytime i get the chance. Thanks for this view.
You’re welcome John, and thank you.
Reblogged this on Poltrack Pix.
It was cool to see all the little bits of color that are appearing, but I love most that last shot with the fiery colors that are what I recall when I think of past autumns in New England.
Thank you Mike. I love being able to see half moon pond each day. I think probably next week will be the best for color. They’re becoming more noticeable each day now.
What lovely colours Autumn provides and your opening photograph was a pleasure to look at.
Thank you Susan. I see scenes like that first photo almost every day now.