Early Autumn at the Pond

Summer lingers around the rim, but Autumn is making it's way to Frog Song Pong. The pond babies of Spring have grown up to swim and fly and feed on their own. This little wood duckling is more of a teenager now. (Photo was taken through my window--they're too skittish to get close). We've seen five of them swimming around. Maybe the next book should be Pond Teens...

The chickadees are busily harvesting pine nuts from the cones.

Some critters avoid being the harvest themselves by clever camouflage. See this moth? Can you see it in the next photo?
Stay tuned for more Fall images.

Last frog of the season

See the tadpole here? Hope he makes it through the winter to become a singer in the spring!


Autumn's color dazzle has actually come and gone. I took these photos just last week, but a strong-winded storm raged through two nights ago, ripping the leaves from the trees. They now stand stark and gloomy. The pond has a blanket of leaves, too, rippling gently when the windmill produces rings of bubbles on the surface. The turtles and frogs will hibernate through the winter, and hopefully we will have good ice for skating.

Autumn snooze

After a week of chilly weather, including some rain and even snow flurries, today is gorgeous. The pond critters have all hunkered down for the winter, though. No turtles or frogs in site. Only life forms were birds and this little grasshopper.