When fall comes after 'winter'

I added a touch of filter during post-processing.

Tonight, I added seven photos from a birding walk yesteday, 16 October 2018. I wanted to get them posted before (hopefully) posting tomorrow a few photos taken today in Carburn Park.

Yesterday morning, I finally got out on a walk with birding friends. I have missed almost all the walks, so wanted to do this one. It was a longer walk than I maybe should have done, irritating the inflammation in the bursae of my shoulders and hips. Such a pain and very difficult to get rid of, I'm finding. Anti-inflammatory gel and Tylenol don't do enough, so I may end up having to get shots to help with the inflammation and pain. I've never had one of these before and feel very hesitant to do so now. From the bit I have read so far, the shots themselves sound very painful, but can also cause other problems. They don't always work, either.

Anyway, yesterday's walk started off beautifully before we even left the parking lot, with us watching a huge murmuration of Starlings - the largest murmuration (2500 birds) I have ever witnessed. A Merlin was keeping the huge flock in motion, and it did end up catching one of them.

Much further along on our walk, we noticed a White-tailed Deer across the river and on the Island at Mallard Point. Two healthy Coyotes were stalking it, but in the end, it ran off with its tail lifted, showing the white panic 'flag'.

As usual, while others were looking for birds, my camera lens turned to a few other things as well. Loved these two leaves, happily showing off their beautiful fall colours and pattern. Everyone here is so thankful that we are now having a fall season, after the nasty shock of two severe snow storms at the beginning of October. Warmth and sunshine at last!!

Another thing I photographed was a small spider on a wooden bridge railing. I was able to have my camera lens up close to the insect and it seemed to work. With something like a butterfly, though, you most likely would not be able to get that close without causing it to fly away. I still can't see how to take telemacro shots of say, wildflowers, unless I stand half a mile away : )