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The Sun winked at us at 0650 then retired, apparently taking a day off and when I went out with the suet feeders, my ears heard the now unfamiliar sound of dripping.
Wetness brought colours up a treat in the field!
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We’ve had a lot of overcast days, but I don’t even remember the last rain and what we have now is no more than drizzle.
Drizzle is that most obnoxious type of wet, in my view.
Like a sullen face.
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But we’ve no cause for complaint.
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Sumac turns scarlet in the Fall.
It has no doubts about the season and is among the first to embrace it.
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Maples too get a head start.
But many of the other trees seem unconvinced that the time has come and they are holding back.
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Stopped at a light in Greenwich, I was struck by leaves in the gutters. I’m not sure, but they may be honey-locust.
Little flakes of gold.
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We shot off to Stump Church for an update.
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The field had been harvested
But the trees weren’t much changed.
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So we went in search of the kingfisher.
It wasn’t there, but others were…
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Wood ducks.
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They are very beautiful and I got quite carried away.
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It was just the two males.
Not a girl in sight.
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They paddled off happily to lose themselves in the reeds, away from the human nosy-parkers.
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We know when to take a hint.
We drove on, keeping eyes pealed.
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Before we’d gone any distance, there was the heron again.
“Are you folks following me around?”
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Fall colours and textures.
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We’ve become fascinated by the random rows of corn that are always left after harvesting.
You’d expect the odd one here and there but now we’re wondering if there is an intent.
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We decided to take a closer look yesterday.
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This is the cornfield that hides the mobile home collection.
Some people collect stamps, but to each his own.
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Leaving these rows of corn has to be deliberate.
But why?
Perhaps to see how many silly people stop to gawp at them?
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Maybe there’s a superstition about leaving a token for the harvest gods. Or something like that.
Because we went to look, we also got a view of this nice tree.
One of the early shedders.
Leaving that small section of the crop presumably has some purpose, but I also cannot think of one. The ducks are very nice, worth photographing. It only got to 13C here today, and has been raining on and off. We are forecast the dreaded ‘heavy downpours’ tomorrow, and I have to go into Norwich by bus, to the eye clinic.
Best wishes, Pete.
Could the farmer perhaps be being careful to ensure that no creatures are harmed by the harvesting? During harvest time Dad always used to bring home rabbits for the pot as they were driven into the centre of the field by the harvester and eventually were killed by the machine! Leaving a section uncut would allow animals to escape to safety.
It’s a nice thought!
Maybe the last rabbit is still hiding there and the cutters cared.
Ha. Maybe!
That sunrise – wow! The change of seasons is such a wonderful time in nature. The golden leaves on the ground are beautiful and so are the ducks (yes, I understand why you got carried away). But oh my, the cornfields are a mystery – why? I think you need to have a conversation with one of those farmers … or maybe send Grant over.
Love your sunrise (?) photo and the Wood Ducks – they’re precious!
Your daily outings are always so interesting Carolyn.
I found it very curious to see those rows of corn left standing, so I did some searching and found this on the Nebraskacorn.gov website: Several rows are left standing at the end of the rows and parallel to a highway or busy road, it is likely they were left there to stop snow from drifting over the roadway during winter. Some farmers also leave a few rows unharvested as food for wildlife.
It’s also possible that a farmer might leave several rows of corn in a field because it is diseased, had a major pest infestation or for insurance purposes. If a section of field was damaged or if the farmer bought a particular variety of seed that didn’t live up to its billing—say, for example, the seed variety claimed to protect against worms that attack the corn’s roots, but the field still suffered extensive worm damage—an insurance agent or seed company representative may need to inspect the field.
Thank you! That is very interesting.