Regarding my post #238, I wish there was a way to now add audio to this photo. It seems that over the past week or so, Arbutus menziesii berries on this and many others nearby have reached a stage of ripeness that is irresistible to many creatures - deer, for sure, but especially birds. When I go outside in the morning these days, the air is filled with sound of hundreds of birds (Juncos mainly) feasting on the berries. It is simply wonderful.
On our morning walk in some lovely Autumn sunshine I saw some Common gorse Ulex europaeus that never gets a mention on the forum, other than how to get rid of it. But everything has a beauty in nature IMO. Certainly very cheerful flowers. Reminded me of my Winter hacks accross the New Forest in England.
It was cold and icy at the dog park this morning but it is also appearing more festive - both by nature and human... hawthorn with frozen droplets frost on a mossy log unknown walkers have been hanging more ornaments...
We had wet, sloppy snow coming down off and on today but I wanted to take some photos of a tree that us local (dog) walkers refer to as the "twin tree". This poor tree is almost dead and it actually lost a good portion during the most recent storm so I'm afraid the City will be out to remove it before it causes injury or worse. I don't know what type of tree it is but the unique feature is that it is actually two tree that are joined about a third of the way up the trunk. The tree on the right lost at least 10m of trunk about 3m above the join...
The tree on the right appears to be dead below the joining point, as indicated by the mushrooms. If it is still alive above the join, that part is being sustained by the left trunk.
The sun is out and it's a beautiful day. And there's still a dusting of snow in certain areas so the cold is creating ground fog...
A feel good day. The sun always lifts the spirits whatever time of the year. Lovely photos P, lifted our spirits, thankyou for posting them.
It's a beautiful but cold day so I decided to go looking for "Christmas in Nature" at the dog park...enjoy. Merry Christmas to All! Stay safe, stay well!
It was a real walk on the wild side this morning after storm Bella. Debris and trees down everywhere and this old Oak took a direct hit.
Wind and weather can be very powerful but nature is very resilient and often finds a way to overcome. I'm not sure what type of tree this is (probably a locust) but many years ago it was severely damaged either by wind or - more likely - a lightning strike but surprisingly all three limbs are very much alive. And I love how this tree continues to grow and each spring it (as well as other plants) is a mass of green, which makes it nearly impossible to photograph the trunk at any other time of year.
I don't know about you P but trees with a story are absolutely amazing to see. Some people get so upset by a blemish on a tree or plant in their garden, but the real interesting ones are those that survive no matter what has been thrown at them. My wife and I remarked on our visits to Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows on the perfection of everything you see and how we really preferred natures oddities and imperfections etc etc. Great photos.
"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." Alice Walker
Got some photos from my mother today - she says the snow has stopped for now and the sun came out... And in case you're wondering, the horses by the barn are minis - Mom says she's too old to get thrown anymore so she "downsized" a few years ago :)
"Crataegus columbiana" In Vancouver area plant shown will in the vast majority of cases be C. monogyna. With C. columbiana being part of an assortment of multiple different species found wild only in the interior.
Heard the chainsaws whilst we were out walking this morning, then came across yet another victim of storm Bella. We read that the winds got up to 100mph.
I thought these Hazel Catkins were looking very nice on our short walk this morning. Sadly can't go too far due to the lockdown rules.
On our morning walk in the snow this little chap looked quite nice for a photo. Robin's and snow go hand in hand IMO.
Very nice, D! I have never seen our ( American ) robins and snow together. Actually, a sure sign that spring has truly arrived is when you see the robins foraging outside. Long way to go for us...
Goid evening N, going down to -5°C tonight so expecting quite a nice look again to the trees. Our Robin's are here all Winter. So festive to look at and very Christmas card picture like. You must post a photo of yours when you can. Only a couple of months till Spring, the evenings are already getting that little bit lighter. We all need some good cheer.