Mainly Nature Journal Pages

Started another animal drawing this weekend, this time a chipmunk. Above is about where I am with it, not quite done, but I feel I have a good start with it.

They are cute for a rodent, I am just happy that they prefer to stay outside. This little one is from a photograph I made at the Trailside Museum in Milton, MA. in the area where people feed the ducks. The chipmunks hang around and if the ducks aren't fast enough will pick up some of the extra duck food.

I have drawn chipmunks before, some more successfully than others, this one is turning out pretty well. I have also spent some time on the Mallard, she isn't quite done but further along than my last update.

Next  up are a couple of pages from my nature journal. With these two I am almost caught up to myself.

The above page is from a visit to Daniel Webster, Ma Audubon Site in Marshfield, MA on September 17. Water level in the man made pond was down from the previous week. Which wasn't a surprise since gone the week between my visits without any rain.. Thankfully it has rained this weekend and I am hoping to see higher water levels on my next visit to the sanctuary. Anyway I obviously did another drawing of my tree stump to indicate the lower water level.

Drawing at the top left is of an oak leaf with acorn that I found on a tree growing in one of the wooded areas. I believe this is a swamp white oak. The leaf isn't as deeply grooved as a standard white oak and the acorn, while it has the bumpy cap, is a bit larger than the other white oak acorns I have been finding.

The last drawing is of a wild flower called butter and eggs. It is another of those plants introduced by Europeans that had a medicinal use, escaped from the garden it is now common in open fields and waste areas. Flowers except for coloration and size look similar to Garden Snapdragons.

The page above is from a visit to Oak Knoll in Attleboro, MA. lots of oak leaves and acorns. At least this year I am finally able to ID some of the oak leaves by using associated acorns. The only one I am still not quite sure of is the Black and Scarlet Oaks, their leaves and acorns look very similar.

I first ID this leaf/acorn combination as being from a Black Oak, but decided that no, it is probably from a Scarlet Oak, though I have to say I am not totally positive. Fall color of the leaf would probably be the best way to really figure it out, the Scarlet oak leaves turn scarlet in the fall but I doubt I will be able to find this particular tree again so will just have to keep watching.

On my walk I spotted a grey squirrel climbing a tree and thought that it would make a good addition to this page, after all the squirrels love to eat acorns. Hopefully they are all busy squirreling away this years crop for the coming winter.

Two photographs today. The one above is from a visit to Stony Brook, where I saw a Great Blue Heron. Not the best photograph, but not my worst either, here you can see the Heron taking off from the shore of the pond, legs aren't quite in flight position.

The photograph above is of New England Asters in bloom with an American Copper Butterfly, made at Oak Knoll where they have a lovely garden, lots of flowers so attractive to butterflies.

That is it for today, per usual comments are welcome.