Now that we’re well and truly into fall, I’ve got a little photo celebration of the gloom and rain and falling leaves and beautiful golden light.

This maple tree delights me during every season and it’s just finishing this year’s autumn plumage. Underneath are the most incredible mossy trunk and branches. As the wind picks up, those maple keys in big bunches start to scatter as they fly up and away like tiny helicopters.

Branches of a maple tree with bright droplets of water, gently orange leaves, and vivid green moss are in front of a gloomy sky streaked with rain.

Another part of my autumn joy was visiting a nearby lagoon just as the sun comes up. The early light was exceptionally orange and it was only amplified by the reflection of orange leaves in the distance. First I snapped an image of the ocean side and then turned around to see all the gathered birds at the lagoon side.

A landscape view of steely ocean water in front of dark purple mountains. The light behind the mountains is an ombre gradient, turning from orange to blue. A flock of birds can just be seen flying above the mountains.

An oyster catcher with vivid orange beak and eye is skipping through the water in warm orange light.

As I’ve learned to photograph birds, it’s been really delightful getting to know who’s a regular at this spot and what they’re likely to do. It’s a bird sanctuary, so there’s usually an abundance of subjects. They oyster catchers often fly together in pairs or more and they have a very distinctive, piercing call that always has me looking around to find where they are when I hear it. They were looking around the shallow water for yummy things to eat like limpets, which I’ve seen them feast on before in different places.

And I think I’ll never not photograph great blue herons no matter how many times I see them. They always seem mysterious and important. I’m amazed at their dinosaur-like beauty every single time.

A great blue heron standing in shallow water in perfect bird portrait orientation, a full side view. Their feathers are layered and dramatic, their sharp beak is huge and pointed, and their visible golden eye is bright.

I always turn my camera away from the water to the shore too because there are usually sparrows or blackbirds hopping around. This golden crowned sparrow perched briefly on the most perfect colour-coordinating lichen-covered rock.

A golden crown sparrow is standing and looking down from a grey boulder that’s covered in bright yellow lichen the same colour as the streak on their head.

A female brewers blackbird giving the camera the side-eye as she hops among pebbles and shells.

And brewer’s blackbirds make me smile every time because they’re just so expressive! This female was scavenging for leftovers under and among the rocks like bits of crab in a shell that the seagulls hadn’t quite finished off.

Closeup of maple leaves turning from green to yellow and red. Most of the photo is slightly blurred, with only a few sharp leaves, giving an abstract vibe.

And here’s one more autumn leaf photo because the colours are so joyful even if it’s the cold season now.

If you like these images, you can follow my nature photography on Instagram.

Celebrating Fall

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