A grey rainy start to the day but with some fall colour remaining the scene is moody but not bleak. The rain did finally stop and as evening approached the moon came out. I took this hand held through a window, a first attempt at the moon. I was rather pleased with the detail.
(This is my first try at using Block Editor, it seems Classic is gone for good 😒).
I think there are few birds more contented looking than mallards, especially with a nice perch on a sunny day.
This figure of a small boy with his ball tucked under his knees has been a subject of my photography before. I’ll be back again when the snow is on the ground to check in on him.
A robin landed outside my window but flew off in the time it took to get my camera. Luckily I took a lot of robin photos earlier in the season.
This young wood duck will be heading south soon but he’ll need a bit more time to develop adult plumage. When he returns next spring he’ll be looking dapper and ready to find a mate.
The nuthatch is an all year resident here. I enjoy its aerobatics and nasal call. It’s that call that usually alerts you to their presence.
There are a few wild turkeys that lurk in the darker corners of this reserve. I’m not fond of these large birds and I keep my distance. Given that Canadian Thanksgiving is next week, they might have more reason to fear than I do 😏
We had a very wet July, as you can see the water level is high. These rainy conditions along with cold nights and sunny days have extended the length of the fall colour season.
I took this photo in the same location as the mallard I posted last week. The ducks seem to like this spot. A wood duck in fall, it doesn’t get much better than this!
On a grey, dull morning the light is diffused giving the changing leaves a more muted tone.
In yesterday’s post, the American Black Duck was an element of the photo, today he’s the star. I did a black and white version as well.
Carrying a wide angle lens on this particular walk, I couldm’t get any closer to the black duck but I believe the emerging fall landscape was a nice compensation.
Walking the paths by the water I find ordinary brush puts on a nice display.
With fall here the pace of duck life seems quieter. The young are grown, the noise level and squabbles are fewer. The female mallard enjoying a solitary swim seemed to confirm this.
The pose as well as the pattern of the cat’s coat brought the old teen magazine to mind. Tiger Beat was launched in 1965 and the print edition ended in 2018. It had a pretty good run.
A little south of the city, we stopped in this quiet little town and had a look around. No crowds, little traffic, I could have stayed a lot longer.
While running some errands, I walked by this building that acted as a perfect canvas for the lamp post and flowers baskets that cast their shadows on it. The sun was very bright and the shadows crisp.
I’ve been going to this reserve for years and each time I do I check on this tree. It’s been leaning all this time but continues to bud each spring and puts on an a show ever fall. Ducks and geese swim up to it and sometimes rest in its shade. I can’t imagine not seeing it as I round the curve of the path; this fine old tree.
The landscape is slowly taking on its fall appearance. Green is still the dominant colour but oranges, yellows and reds are coming into their own.
As I had set out to take some landscape photos, I had a wide angle lens with me and nothing else. I thought there would be more fall colours than there were but the reflections on the water were nice. The American Black Ducks added a little something extra.
We thought we’d go to a nearby farmer’s market on a recent Saturday. Others had the same idea so instead of facing the crowds we explored the streets around the market. The building I photographed must have been an old warehouse that had been converted into individual businesses including craftmen and artists. Someone painted the fascade with flourish.
Robins have been plentiful this year; the occasional one remaining for the winter. Most fly further south but are among the first birds to return in the spring.
The mallard had the right idea, it was resting in the shade on a very hot morning. Much of the scene was in shadow but the sun found its way through the trees and illuminated the bird’s head nicely.
There are a lot of cardinals in my neighbourhood. This one picked a nice spot to land.
On a recent walk in the neighbourhood, I saw this colourful parking jam on the sidewalk leading to the house. It looked like something important was going on 😏
The plant above is a yarrow. I have to thank Eliza for the correct ID (see comments). Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of one. That will have to wait until next year. Pretty plant though 😏
I took this photo in late June when the plant was beginning to flower. It’s native to Ontario and other parts of North America. It got its common name from its use as a herbal medecine to break fevers. I liked the way it was set off against that summer green background,
A little kid was playing in the park and left his bike close by for the return trip. At first I thought the helmut in the photo was a large ball. I don’t know how little children keep their balance wearing such huge things on their heads 😏.
September has been a beautiful month. Summer isn’t leaving quietly.
I took this photo in early June. I liked the way the little gosling was positioned, all I had to do was take the shot. It’s all grown up by now and getting ready to head south.
When squirrels (and other animals) lie spread out like this it’s called splooting. It helps them cool off or relax. I’ve often seen squirrels do this on a hot day and this one was no exception.
This small section of a landing caught my eye, I love old brick.
When I took this scene in June, it seemed that summer would stretch on forever. Daisies were everywhere. Not so now; until next year then.
This little beetle might look innocent enough but it’s not. It’s a spotted cucumber beetle. It damages plants and spreads pathogens. I hadn’t seen one before and was pleased to see it until I looked it up 😏
The flower had faded but the sun still made it glow.
We saw a flock of Cedar waxwings swirling around overhead and I managed to catch one when it landed for a moment.
The temperature is getting a bit cooler, so city walks are becoming more comfortable. It’s beginning to look more like fall, the trees are berry laden and their leaves are no longer a vibrant green. I enjoy watching and photographing these changes.
I believe this is a tendril of a wild grapevine that was hanging over the path I was walking. I liked its twirls and swirls.
The dominant garden colour now is a golden yellow, sunflowers and goldenrod taking centre stage.
Another photo of the Greater White-fronted Goose I took last month. It did spend quite a lot of time preening which allowed me to get this.
At first there were two female mergansers sharing the rock. The younger bird (front left) finished her swim and joined them. This was taken in July and we haven’t seen any since. Perhaps we’ll have another opportunity during the fall migration.
