If Mama Nature will not cooperate with me in the way of lavish panoramas, I will have to make do. There is always brilliant color somewhere in the landscape, even during the blah days we’ve been having. Over at the Torch Bay Nature Preserve there are bright red wild rosehips. I think that’s what they are. Not confident enough to nibble on ’em though.
Some of the milkweed pods had not fully released their seeds. Dunno whether what we have is overprotective parent pods or timid seedlings reluctant to leave home.
Back at the Writing Studio and Bait Shop there are little splashes of red and yellow and flame. Splashes of rain, too, but it could be worse. And it will be.
Posted in: Adventures outdoors
Torch Lake Views 
p.j. grath
October 9, 2009
Closeup is the way to go for color these days, for sure. I collected a few images myself but haven’t gotten around to posting them yet. But WHAT IS THAT BRIGHT YELLOW???
Gerry
October 10, 2009
That amazing blaze is a tiny yellow fungus. It looks like dabs of butter arranged artfully in flower shapes and spirals and – oh dear, I wonder if liverworts come in yellow? Because if they do I’ve probably made another mistake. Anyway, it’s growing on the cut end of a log on top of a woodpile. Very decorative.
flandrumhill
October 11, 2009
Could the yellow fungi be one called Witches’ Butter? That’s the closest identification I can make from my field guide. I haven’t seen anything like that here in Nova Scotia.
The milkweed pod close-ups are stunning. Nature is so marvelous up close.
The top photo looks like rose hips to me too. The five point star reveals that it’s indeed in the rose family.
Gerry
October 11, 2009
As usual, I have no idea where to begin identifying things, but once you pointed me at witch’s butter that led me to lemon drops, a/k/a Bisporella citrina. I think that’s what they are. Take a look at Doug Waylett’s photostream on Flickr and see if you agree. Doug, who is a nature photographer from the Calgary area, says another name for them is Yellow fairy cups, and I quite like that!
It would be good if I put something in for scale when taking pictures of tiny things. Something besides my camera strap.
flandrumhill
October 12, 2009
I think you’re right Gerry. The photo of the yellow fairy cups in my guide didn’t have the lemon yellow appearance it has in your photo, however, ‘lemon yellow’ is used in the description in the text section. That must be it.