A walk in the woods, part 2

From a distance, the brilliant colors of autumn leaves make an inspiring sight.  However, a closer view is often not so pretty.  Many of the leaves that I saw on my walk were marked by bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases.

Infected maple leaves.

Infected oak leaves.

Other leaves had been skeletonized by insects while still on the trees.  Interestingly, the leaves that had been consumed in this way were often attached to a neighboring leaf, perhaps forming a shelter for the hungry herbivores.

One of many skeletonized oak leaves.

A walk in the woods, part 1

I spent the last few days in Syracuse, New York.  Although I was kept very busy on my trip, I did get to spend part of one evening walking through the woods.  Many of the trees were turning from green to red, orange, or yellow, and the forest floor was carpeted with the leaves that had already fallen.  All along the path, silk-tufted seeds were being released from dry brown pods.  Despite these signs of autumn, I found several flowers that were still blooming.  

It was late in the day, as well as chilly, so it was not surprising that these flowers were deserted.  The more promising places to look for animal life were further down: in the leaf litter and underneath rocks and fallen branches.

A spider in the leaf litter, probably a wolf spider (Lycosidae).

A red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) that had been hidden underneath a fallen branch.

The salamander pictured above looks just like the ones I remember finding under rocks in our backyard when I was growing up.  It was a treat to see one again after many years!