Nature Notes: November 2025
From Color to Black and White
On Youtube: November: From Color to Black and White
The light changes in November. October is all about the color, everywhere we look brilliant colors compete for our attention. November brings a transition to black and white, somber and grey. This pattern is nothing new, but the fall makes it easy for us to forget. Now we remember what’s coming.
The November just past, I’m writing this on November 30th 2025, was not the snowiest of those that I recall, but it was up there. It’s snowing hard today, accumulating and adding to the half foot of snow already on the ground. Several inches more are expected today and overnight.
Every year is different, so there’s no telling what December will bring. The images that follow are from late October and November. Mostly from my usual haunts with a few from our visit to Pennsylvania to see the kids. A trip to Pennsylvania seems like a southern vacation these days.
Common Milkweed, Tupper Lake
As fall sets in, White-throated Sparrows and Song Sparrows are among the last of the migrating song birds to head south.
Late October, the bogs are ablaze with color.
Water and light
I rarely show sunset pictures anymore. The best ones look unreal and I have to note that the colors have not been faked.
I do like that blue.
The Bloomingdale Bog trail. A new favorite.
Uh oh, when the Larch needles turn yellow fall is wrapping up.
Canada Jay along the Bloomingdale Bog trail.
Low water in the Raquette River below Buttermilk Falls. August and September were dry but late October brought rain and water levels started to come back up.
Buttermilk Falls, November 1st, the flow was still on the low side.
Side trip down to Pennsylvania. A turkey vulture near Malvern.
A Red-bellied Woodpecker seen while hiking in the Valley Forge Historical Park.
Sweet Gum tree at Valley Forge.
An abandoned field at Valley Forge, an ecological community not seen in the Adirondacks.
Here we go, back home. I cut my teeth on black and white photography in the 1970s, and November comes with a nostalgic feel.
Sometimes a bit of color is needed.
A pair of Mallards appeared on Lake Eaton on November 29th. I hope they had the good sense to continue their journey, the lake was starting to ice up and the next day was no day to be traveling.
