Yesterday was Groundhog Day in Canada and the United States. Two famous Canadian Groundhogs, one from Quebec and another from Nova Scotia predicted that we will have an early spring as neither saw their shadow. It seems their American pal is in agreement .š
Itāll be a while before we see any damselflies but in the meantime I thought Iād revisit a bit of summer.
The river is shallow at this point and muddy. Itās also a favourite fishing spot for Egrets. This one had caught something, and cleaned up after eating .š
I couldnāt see what had caught the catās attention but watched as it slowly moved towards whatever it was. It did remind me of a ābig catā stalking its prey.
The Dodge 200 (circa 1960) was parked outside a house undergoing renovation. The truck was full of lumber for the work underway. You never know what youāll see when out on a walk. š
I had not expected to see the wood duck on the path. I took this with a long lens and clipped a bit of its wing but enjoyed the bird’s relaxed pose.
The duck doesnāt seem to mind winter at all.
This is a slightly re-edited version of a photo Iāve featured before.
Like many of us right now.š
You can just see a bit of this downy woodpeckerās red cap. I like the way his back feathers caught the wind as well.
I’ve featured this photo before but in colour. This time I turned it into black and white and edited it a bit differently.
On a day like today, snowing and cold, I thought Iād revisit summer for a while.
Reflections can make for interesting subjects, this one nicely framed in red brick.
Another old house in the downtown core that has escaped the wreckerās ball.
I always enjoy seeing these little birds while walking in the woods.
I wondered why the birds were in such a frenzy, when I imported the image I saw why. The gull in the lower right-hand corner had caught something to eat that the others wanted. The scene is a bit raw but nature is that way sometimes.
These geese took their time navigating through the dense reeds. There were no other birds in sight, just this calm pair.
A lot of old houses have collections of glass bottles in the window which always catch my eye. The signage wasnāt very welcoming though and then I noticed the house number.
The cat was keeping an eye on things as I passed by its yard. I looked back as I walked along and it never altered its gaze.
Sometimes the little things are the big picture.
One of many Canada Geese Iāll be featuring this year. I do like these birds; they have a few character flaws but then donāt we all. š
The surface of lily pads can be messy. I was going to edit out a bit of the āmuckā when I realized it consisted of flies, a frogās meal of choice. I kept them in it made for a more realistic picture.
One of the nice things about Downy Woodpeckers is that they remain here even in the winter. They continue to find insects by drilling into the bark of trees; their diet also includes berries and well stocked feeders.
I took this photo in mid-December, a few years back. Weāve seen very little snow this winter, more rain than anything else. Today is colder though so maybe weāll see some soon. A December without any snow is unusual. I wonder if this is the new normal ā¦
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
Our local reserve was closed for a few weeks this summer when a trio of male turkeys were acting aggressively towards passersby. This Tom wasnāt one of the rowdies. š
I took many shots of this egret last summer. I have never seen one moving through the tall grass before. We were taking a path to the river and thought we might see one fishing there. I think this egret should have asked for directions š
Iāve only seen Northern Shovelers in late fall as they pass through on their way south and always in this quiet cove. Their impressive shovel-shaped bills have projections that allow them to filter out food from the water.
And ready for the Holidays!
I feature a lot of ducks on my blog. I never tire of them.
Well not exactly but the larva of a ladybug does bear a slight resemblance to a tiny alligator and they are voracious eaters.
The squirrel couldn’t have posed any better š
I was hoping to find a few frogs among the water lilies that day but they remained quiet and well hidden. All in all I didnāt leave disappointed.
I wish I had been closer to the egret and company but the photo did capture the quiet mood of the afternoon at the lake.
Ring-billed gulls are very intense looking birds.
We are lucky to have a lot of public art on our city streets. Itās nice to slow down for a few minutes and take it all in.
The goose had somewhere to be. š
Quite the change from our current snowy landscape.
Although some mallards remain here all winter, Iāve never seen a black duck in their company. Like most waterfowl, they fly further south before the real cold sets in.
I walk by this spot frequently but on this particular day the light and shadow were just right. I thought the result looked like an etching.
I enjoy seeing ring-billed gulls on the water, although we often see them in city parking lots and public parks scavenging for food. I liked this photogenic group; note the mottled bird on the left, itās a juvenile. These gulls take three years to reach full maturity.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 