Autumn Wonders

Fall colors offer befitting backdrops for these stunning reader photos

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BIG AND BOLD

Native to eastern North America, barred owls have moved west of the Rocky Mountains. They pose a threat to spotted owls of the West, competing with them for food and disrupting their nesting process.

Dusk was starting to set in as I walked our property with my son napping in the stroller. Suddenly I felt as if I was being watched. I looked to my right and there sat Ghost, one of our resident pair of barred owls. I used the stroller as a makeshift tripod to steady my camera in the low light.

Natalie Cavalieri BEAVERDAM, VA.

When I started with photography, hummingbirds were among my favorite birds to capture. But for the longest time, my photos failed to do justice to these backyard beauties. That is, until I spotted this male Anna's hummingbird at my feeder one day. I grabbed my camera and snapped away. With the bird's glorious gorget on full display and the fall colors adding to its charm, this picture remains one of my favorites to this day.

Carter Hansen WASHINGTON, UT.