Red & Orange Autumn Colour at High Park (west) / September 30, 2019

Fall colour changes were coming into full effect today on the 17 degree, overcast morning.

Sassafrass (Sassafrass albidum)
Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alata)
Round-leaved Dogwood (Cornus rugosa)
Bush-honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus inserta)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Alternate-leaved Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Lots of red fruit as well:

Tartarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)
Purple-flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)
Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus foemina) with red pedicels
Rose hips (Rosa)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
False Solomon-seal (Maianthemum racemosum)
Barberry (berberis vulgaris)

and tree bark

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)

Park scenes:

My first Golden-crowned Kinglet of the fall was spotted as well as this Swainson’s Thrush:

Swainson’s Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush

Species list: great blue heron, mute swan, mallard, wood duck, lesser scaup, northern flicker, downy woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, golden-crowned kinglet, Swainson’s thrush,  house sparrow, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (15 species)

female Mallard (l) and female Wood Duck (r) showing size difference
Lesser Scaup
Great Blue Heron
Wood Ducks
Song Sparrow
House Sparrow (female)

This morning’s group:

BIRDWATCHING ANECDOTE

One year at Point Pelee, an enthusiastic beginner with an open Field Guide came rushing up to Jim Baillie and I saying she had just seen a pyrrhuloxia. Jim had been through this misidentification of cardinals many times before. In his quiet way he said, “I’m afraid there are no records of a pyrrhuloxia in Canada.” The lady gleefully replied, “Well, there is now!” (Gerry Bennett)

Pyrrhuloxia from: allaboutbirds.org

Miles Hearn

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