Red Maple leaf floating
Donna and I celebrated this first day of fall with a pontoon ride and a drive to the overlook that is a mile northwest of the WRI. Fittingly, red maple leaves were beginning to fall with a nice red one floating on dark water near the dock.
Eagle eyeing the fall colors
Earlier, on my way to work at the WRI, a bald eagle perched on top of a tall red pine appreciating the same reds (smooth sumac), greens, and yellows (birch and aspens) I was seeing.
Robinson Lake
As I passed by Robinson Lake, 10 miles west of Ely, mirror-smooth water reflected the forest of mostly aspens there.
Overlook
At the overlook, the main color was yellow—not the myriad of colors found in the deciduous forests of eastern states--but some trees try to give the eastern forests competition.
Color at NABC via PTZ cam
At the Bear Center, "Taught" caught some of the forest competition that the PTZ camera captured better than did my Nikon.
Underwing moth
For a surprise bit of color today, a drab-looking moth spread its wings to reveal the orange and black of its underwings for which it is named.
Color from the lake
Sunlight brightens the colors of the leaves, which is when the sun of high noon nicely lit a red maple on the pontoon ride.
WRI Driveway
Some of nicest colors to me are when the sun is low at sunrise and sunset. That’s when a red maple grabbed my attention dead ahead of me on the WRI driveway.
A beautiful fall day.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center