Last week I shared an image of Black Joe’s Pond captured in 2019 and, in one of the comments, I was asked if I had photographed Hawthorn Pond. Up until then I hadn’t even been to Hawthorn Pond and so on Saturday, October 17, I made it a point to head over there (after the stop at Brown’s Island).

I parked at the end of Hawthorn Road and then walked the trail which led me to this spot (also accessible via the Rail trail). I immediately spotted a duck floating in front of the pond grass and spent a few minutes trying to get a shot of the duck amidst the peak foliage but didn’t like any of the compositions.

I repositioned myself and adjusted my lens to a wider view to take in this perfect fall scene with peak color in the trees surrounding Hawthorn Pond as well as the golden tops of the grass. The deep blue color in the water was aided by the shadows and use of a polarizing filter.