We drove by a local reserve to see if there were any animals about. A quick look around didn’t amount to much. On the way back we passed this coffee bar. There’s a small cafe inside but it’s a lot more fun to grab a seat outside when it warms up a bit.
I’ve been enjoying signs of spring on other people’s blogs, so I thought I’d join in and share a photo I took in late April last year. No real signs of spring yet, we just reached +2C today; sooner or later… 😏
I enjoy taking these intimate landscapes, a term my spouse introduced me to when I first picked up a camera. I wish I could say I took this photo early in the winter but I took it today. Winter has not yet decided to make room for spring 😏
I liked this duck tableau, taken in late fall just before most of our mallards headed south.
A nice day to be inside looking out.
I love walking along the water. The air is clean, there’s always a breeze and if you’re really lucky a couple of geese swim by to complete the picture.
Walking along I caught some interesting reflections of my surroundings. Right now reality appears somewhat distorted as well.
These poppies are an introduced species in Ontario. They’re popular in gardens and can naturalize in the landscape; I saw these growing in a field.
Early for an appointment, I sat in the parking lot waiting to go in. Overhead I saw some crows fly in and took this photo.
No tulips yet but things are moving in the right direction. It reached +5C today and snow banks are beginning to melt; I even saw a jogger wearing shorts 😊
Another warm weather scene on a cold and snowy day. Not a great fan of winter anymore 😏 .
Cormorants tend to swim and perch far offshore. I would have liked to have been closer to the bird but it did pose rather nicely all the same.
Well, it’s snowing again so here’s a summery alternative to the scene outside my window. I think this is a Long-leaved speedwell but would appreciate a positive I.D.
These little tree frogs are still hibernating but I thought it would be fun to feature one in February. I’ve only seen them a few times, this one on a suburban deck.
Great Egrets are usually so pristine lookong but when it comes to hunting for food a bird can get a bit dirty. The egrets and herons who fish close to shore are usually successful but end up looking a bit messy.
I often see female mallards taking a solitary swim, they must enjoy the quiet 😏 . I was fortunate that this one was swimming into nice reflections.
I like grackles although they have a poor reputation as bullies and agricultural pests. Despite that they’re attractive, intelligent birds that can be fun to watch as they strut around the grass. I look forward to their return in early spring.
This will be a running theme on my blog for the next little while…
Just six weeks to go!
The sun made an appearance this morning. We were supposed to get flurries throughout the day but the sun won out.
I liked the scale in both of these scenes along with the imagination that went into them.
If the groundhog sees his shadow this is supposed to indicate six more weeks of winter. Around here that still means an early spring 😊 . I’ve featured this image before and it’s still one of my favourites.
We’re fortunate to have a nice variety of ducks. Last year was a very good year for wood ducks. I saw this young female towards the end of the summer.
We see quite a few American Black Ducks during the warmer months. They resemble female mallards though they’re darker and their bills are yellow, they are also heavier than mallards. They seem less rowdy too but perhaps that’s because there are fewer of them. 😏
Sometimes that’s all you can do 😏
We usually see Lesser Scaups for a few days in the spring as they migrate through eastern Ontario. Their primary breeding range is further north and west. It’s always a pleasure to see them though, if only briefly.
We’ve had frequent snow squalls today, so I thought a bit of late summer would be welcome.
I’m not sure if the ant saw the wasp but it was clearly in its sights. These small dramas play out in nature all the time.
A sunny day ending on a high note.
I took this photo in early fall. The duck had regrown his fine feathers to be ready for the breeding season in spring. We should begin seeing them again in April.
There seemed to be a lot of cats in our old neighbourhood. They were mainly indoor cats and I’d see them looking out the window. This cat claimed the entrance to the house but sat there quietly just taking it all in.
When I was a kid, on a snowy morning we’d listen to the radio for school closures as we got ready for school in case our school didn’t make the list.
We’re supposed to get 35 centimetres (13.8 inches) by tonight but it wasn’t enough to cancel school.
These two colours are well represented in our winters by snow covered evergreens. I thought these hostas would be a nice change of pace.
If an insect can be cute this one ticks all the boxes 😊
We’ve had some unusual weather for January, mild and rainy; perhaps this is the way it will be going forward. In any event, at the end of a dark wet day, this splash of melba mixed with the grey created a pretty effect.
Coneflowers have a long growing season and are always a welcome sight. They were particularly attractive in this garden patch.
We saw few ladybugs this year, few insects in general. But I was lucky to catch this one as it made its way along.
We’re lucky to see Blue Jays in winter. They’re clever birds and store large quantities of food in hidden caches as well as show up at bird feeders during the colder months.
Though we live in the city, there’s a nature reserve close by that we go to frequently. Good years attract a lot of ducks and geese and several herons. The pond supports turtles and birds. This young wood duck was swimming quite close to where we had just seen a snapping turtle go by. Fortunately she didn’t linger long.
To a bright year ahead. Happy New Year!
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 