Friday 5 November 2010

Seasonal Splash (1): The Fall of Autumn Leaves

A Grey Squirrel in Swanseas
Close-up
A Splash of Autumn Colour
A 'reflective' foretaste of Winter, when there will be bare branches on the deciduous trees
Meanwhile, we can enjoy the rich colours of Autumn


















I can understand the leaves losing their green chlorophyll colour in the Autumn, but what makes them turn yellow and purple, russet, scarlet and gold?

Carotenoids are responsible for the shades of yellow and anthocyanins for the reds and purples.  You can read more about the process on the US Forest Service site here. Drop me a comment if you have posted some colourful leaves: I would love to see them!

Those of us in the UK, where we mark Guy Fawkes' Night on 5 November with fireworks and bonfires, would do well to read the RSPB advice regarding the safety of animals. You might enjoy my collaborative Bonfire Wordle here

8 comments:

Andrea said...

Hi Caraoline, your photos are really awesome, but that one with reflection is extra-ordinary. I don't think i've seen that quality yet in others. Very beautiful indeed! I have colors also in my post but not because of Autumn but because they are juveniles. We only have 2 seasons and autumn and winter are alien to us, my few travels to temperate countries coincide mostly with spring so i am literally deprived of these wonderful scenes. I just content myself with pictures like yours. I like your short description of the pigments, as i've tried to put it very simply also in my last post, not mentioning the xantophylls, etc to lessen the complications, hehe.

grammie g said...

Hi Caroline...Beautiful foliage photos ....it seems your season is not much differnt then your!
The leaves are almost done here though!!
My last three post have been on the colors here in Maine USA.
Your gray squirrel even looks like mine whereas a blog I follow here in Indiana posts gray squirrels who have a very rusty chest!!

I have a post going out maybe today and that will be my last one od the colors!!
Have a great weekend!!

Crafty Green Poet said...

what lovely photos, I particularly like the reflection shot and the collage effect of fallen leaves

Anonymous said...

Beautiful show of autumn colours in your photos. I've bookmarked the site where fall foliage is explained. I also checked out the other links. Useful. And 'wordle' is new to me. Glad I checked it out.
Love the last picture of the leaves and the squirrel is cute!

J said...

Lovely autumnal shots. Is that Singleton Park?

Caroline Gill said...

Spot on, Jeremy.

Rosie Nixon Fluerty said...

Hello Caroline - those colours are beautiful especially the tapestry of leaves on the woodland floor with some of the intense green ivy leaves scattered on top.

On leavesnbloom - I have 2 posts on autumn colour - "Bobby Dazzlers" and "The Salmon leap" while on lnb photography there are quite a few. I am so glad I took lots of autumn shots as the storms in the last day or so have blown off most of the leaves now.

Mary said...

Your squirrel is so cute and I love that puddle shot!