Autumn has descended in all its glory on Nota Bene. Even our backyard has joined the party, with fabulous leaves sparkling in the sunshine and any number of amazing birds paying visits on their way through.

Even though Norway Maples are not indigenous to NB and even though, on the advice of many people, I'm patiently cutting most of them out of our backyard property, you have to admit that they are pretty glorious when they turn colour. The first photo in this entry is of the leaves at the top of one such tree, bathed in the early morning sun, a splendid salad of reds and oranges and yellows. A beautiful sight!

And then, as I was admiring that sight, what do I hear but the raspy call of some kind of woodpecker. I waited, listened, then saw a fantastically huge Pileated Woodpecker swoop into the yard and land in one of the Aspens that grow tall and slim back there.

I was stunned by his sudden appearance and, for several long minutes, watched entranced as he made his way up and down the trunk of the tree. Then, carefully, I made my way into the house to get my camera, hoping, praying he'd stick around long enough for me to get a picture or two.

Thankfully, he didn't disappoint. In fact, he made himself available to my lens with better profiles than I could have dreamed. What a beautiful bird. I love the colour of his crown. I've added two photos of him to this page and a third on my "Feathers In Fredericton" page. So please do enjoy them all.

Later in the morning, a surprisingly blue nuthatch (a white-breast) appeared at our feeder but, unlike the woodpecker, he came and went so fast I couldn't get the camera in time. Still, a pretty great day for mid-October. Even more to be thankful for on Thanksgiving!

Tags: Fall, New Brunswick, Pileated, Woodpecker, birding

Fall has certainly arrived in New Brunswick and, with it, some of the most spectacular colours I've ever seen. This morning, I took my usual drive down Highway 7 between Fredericton and Saint John and found myself driving through an amazing landscape, almost other worldly in its vivid hues.

Highway 7 rolls over hills and through valleys as it heads south and offers some pretty impressive vistas. Sometimes, it's a hillside in the distance, awash in reds, oranges, yellows and golds, all mixed with a spectrum of greens. At other times, the forest comes right to the side of the road and the individuals trees leap out at you as you flash by, on fire with colour.

My mom would have loved this, the most impressive autumn I've ever witnessed. She would have wanted to drive and drive and drive, ohhing and ahhhing at the trees. She would have loved the trip Patti, Marlee and I took after work tonight, first along Highway 7 to the valley town of Welsford, about 40 km from Saint John, then for a bite to eat at Georgette's Diner, and finally the return trip home, along the back roads through Fredericton Junction. Almost every foot of the trip offered something amazing to see (including a flock of deer in a roadside field, which sent my heart into my throat!).

We videotaped the drive down Highway 7, then took some still photos in Welsford itself, including several of that magnificent tree you see in the photo at right. If you want to see the video (or at least some highlights of it), wait a couple of days, then check it out on Youtube by searching "markwwnb". It'll be there soon, along with numerous videos of Marlee Marie frolicking at some of New Brunswick's neatest spots.

Ahh, Fall. Nobody does it better than New Brunswick!

Tags: New Brunswick, Fall, Trees