American beech leaves turning golden yellow, 10 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

17 October 2026

Leaves are changing color in Schenley Park. A lot of trees are still green because the oaks change later this month.

A view of the wood on Falloon Trail, 10 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Yellow is the main color right now: Beech (above) and buckeyes (below).

Bottlebrush buckeye leaves turning yellow — veins still green, 14 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Red is rare because we have few maples … except for this one at Phipps Conservatory.

Bright red tree near Phipps Conservatory, 16 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

On 9 October I found a nut on a gravel trail in Schenley Park. Fascinated by its five-sectioned capsule, I peeled it to reveal the nut from a bitternut hickory.

Humans don’t eat bitternuts because they taste bitter. They aren’t the first choice for most wildlife, but the nuts have a high fat content and are worth eating to fatten up as winter approaches.

On 10 October I found a nut-eating bird near the Falloon Trail, searching the leaf litter for food. Wild turkeys compete with deer, squirrels and blue jays for acorns in the fall. The bird was a happy find, the first wild turkey I’ve seen in Schenley Park since 2020.

Wild turkey, Schenley Park, 10 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)