Fall Afternoon at Trout Lake

I decided to go to Trout Lake and test my luck with the wildlife and see what  I could capture. I ended up having very good luck. The fall colours were reflecting beautifully on the lake and birds were plentiful on the lake and in the surrounding deciduous woodland. Special sightings included two downy woodpeckers and a  Pied-billed Grebe. I wasn't able to get a photo of the woodpeckers, but the grebe was less than 50ft  from the shore and let me get some photos that I'm very pleased with. In the forest, licorice ferns were coming to life. These epiphytic ferns, growing out of trees, go dormant in the summer due to a lack of water and too much shade from its host tree. In the fall and winter in Vancouver, there is no shortage of water in the form of rain and the trees on which they grow loose their leaves and the ferns come out of dormancy, giving a splash of bright green to the landscape. In the city you will see these ferns growing in non-native maples and willow, but its most important natural host is the big-leaf maple. It's worth keeping an eye out for these awesome plants. I'm very grateful to have access to such wonderful green spaces within the city.  Have a good weekend!
- Sam