8.29 - Wild Grapes

8.29.12 Wild Grapes • © Margaret Helthaler

Wild grapes and dappled sunlight on a beautiful late August morning.

8.28 - Painted Lady and Black Eyed Susans

8.28.12 Painted Lady and Black Eyed Susans • © Margaret Helthaler

A burst of late August color…

8.25 - Kingfisher

8.25.12 Kingfisher • © Margaret Helthaler

I began bird watching the summer I was ten years old. I found a bird book when I was visiting my grandmother and I would sit on the front porch and refer to its pages as I watched the Barn Swallows swoop along the fields or caught sight of the flashy orange breast of a Baltimore Oriole. However, the discovery that excited me the most was when I was able to determine that the persistent trilling call I’d hear from the nearby creek, made by a bird resembling an oversized blue jay, belonged to a Kingfisher. So it was particularly appropriate that the pinnacle of my bird-watching experience that summer occurred when I was standing on the bridge spanning the creek and a Kingfisher landed on the railing a mere three feet away with a small fish clasped within it’s shiny black beak. For a breathless moment I stood in awe, taking in every detail of the sight before me. To this day, when I hear the trilling call of a Kingfisher, I am reminded of that moment.

8.24 - Monarch on Loosestrife

8.24.12 Monarch on Loosestrife • © Margaret Helthaler

Butterflies and flowers are right up there with unicorns and rainbows - a pleasant way to start the day. :)

8.23 - Getting Ready for Winter?

8.23.12 Getting Ready For Winter? • © Margaret Helthaler

On a whim, I decided to hang a right out of my driveway when I went for my walk this morning. While this western route doesn't feature the sweeping vistas of fields and mountains offered by the opposite direction, the wooded stretch of road forced me to focus on smaller details in the landscape. Otherwise, I may have missed this little guy, sitting perfectly still on an old stump, cheeks bulging with his winter harvest...

8.22 - Verdant Wetland

8.22.12 Verdant Wetland • © Margaret Helthaler

The high waters of early summer have receded from the overspill by the Rondout Reservoir - making way for a rich carpet of new green grass. The pungent wet earth glistens in the morning sun.

8.21 - Crescent Moon At Dusk

8.21.12 Crescent Mood At Dusk • © Margaret Helthaler

I didn't make it out for a morning walk, but I did manage to squeeze in an evening bike ride. Thanks to bikes fitted with lights, we enjoyed the last bit of waning daylight and were greeted by singing Katydids and this crescent moon as we neared the end of our ride.