It was nice to see this sparrow on the ground at a relatively close distance. I usually spot them high up in the trees flying from branch to branch. The bird was nicely framed by new vegetation and seemed to be listening for something.
SPRING TULIPS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Nothing announces spring like tulips. With their scent, colour and perseverance, they appear soon after the last snow has melted. These photos were taken at Ottawa’s annual Tulip Festival. Given the late spring we’ve had, the tulips are a bit slower to open this year and there are still tulip beds that haven’t completely bloomed. Still though, a beautiful sight.
QUEBEC SCENES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
These photographs were taken on the banks of the Ottawa River in Hudson, Quebec. We had stopped for lunch and took a short walk along the shoreline. I was struck by the quiet and stillness of the park and the dappled light, a place I will have to visit again.
WOOD DUCKS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
There are many wood duck pairs at the lake this spring, it should be a good year for them. I was told that a wood duck had been seen entering a nest in a tree trunk whose previous tenant had been a woodpecker. It shouldn’t be too long before we see the first ducklings.
CANADA’S PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, OTTAWA
This cliff side view of Canada’s Parliament Buildings is an impressive sight. The photo was taken on a brilliant spring day but I thought the Gothic Revival architecture lent itself to a black and white treatment. The Parliament Hill complex was rebuilt in 1916 after a fire raised the original to the ground, only the Library of Parliament (the building on the far right) survived the fire. After more than a century the buildings are in the process of being renovated but at this writing, you can still walk around the grounds, toss a ball on the lawn, even raise a protest sign!
SPRING BONUS
In early spring, whenever I see the first of something it’s cause to smile. I have seen a few trout lilies this season but this was the first bee I’ve spotted. Although a lot of the cultivated flowers are in bloom, the wildflowers are slow to appear as are insects. It made the bee especially nice to see.
THOUGHT I HEARD A RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
The first time I photographed a female red winged blackbird I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. The female is so unlike the male in appearance. They are quieter too, often in the underbrush gathering nesting material as this bird was. They do blend in quite well so I was pleased to have taken this shot.
