The woods around us boast two species of squirrels: the red squirrel and the eastern grey squirrel, both grey and black varieties (pictured below). With the cold weather settling in it’s a busy time for them. They’re out in force collecting food for the long winter ahead. The sound of the squirrels scurrying through the woods can even muffle the birdsong that we’re straining to hear.
It was nice to see this woodpecker out in the open. Normally I see them darting along tree trunks or on the fly. The bird remained in the same area for quite a while looking for insects. The photos were taken in late May and if you look closely at the tree stump in the second photo you will see the skins (exuviae) shed by recently emerged dragonflies.
I often see this pair in the same spot on the lake. They don’t swim with the other ducks so they tend to stand out. They resemble mallards in shape and size but not in colouring so I assume they must be hybrid ducks. These photos were taken on an overcast day and I liked the way the water formed interesting patterns as the ducks swam towards me. The solitary duck looked like a good subject for a black and white treatment. I used Lumenzia in Photoshop to create the effect.
These are all very different flowers, what makes them similar is that they’re all found in the wild. The poppy was growing in a local wildlife garden, the white trillium (Ontario’s provincial flower) in a wooded area and the lily in a laneway. The trillium is one of our first spring flowers, reaching full bloom in May; the yellow and green contrasting nicely with the white of the petals. The other flowers were taken in July. Once the cold weather gives way to spring, I look forward to watching the cycle of new growth begin again.
This was one of several shots I took in mid October before the Great White Egrets headed south. We’ve seen them yearly at the reserve but never in such great numbers or so close by. In the past they would remain in the middle of the lake and I never managed to capture more than a stark white blur. This year was different and like the Great Blue Heron I featured a few posts back, this egret posed beautifully on a beaver lodge well within my sights. I have a few more shots of this bird wading in the shallows which I’ll be putting up in the next little while.
These photographs were taken in mid-October when the autumn leaves had reached their peak. The reflection in the water was spectacular. The lake was teeming with ducks, all I had to do was wait for some to swim through the water with the most pleasing reflections and these two did. The photos only needed modest post processing adjustments, mainly to compensate for exposure and brightness issues.
Damselflies are at their height in July but we have seen them earlier in the season and often well into August. These insects seem to symbolize summer and remind me of the warm sunny day when I took these photographs. I believe the damselfly in the first shot is a spreadwing, not as common as the bluets in the second photo. I think one of the bluets is having a snack, a bit distracted from the business at hand.
There are a couple of beaver lodges at the lake. We didn’t see any beavers that day but we did come across this Great Blue Heron making itself comfortable on top of the lodge. It was looking pretty sleepy, maybe it had just eaten and felt like a rest. We stood at the shoreline within 25 feet or so from the heron and with my 300 mm I was able to get some nice clear shots. When we left, the bird appeared to be completely asleep.
We had been running some errands and I brought a 50 mm lens with me, thinking if the opportunity arose… When we had finished, we weren’t far from a small woodland area and had a look around. The colours along the path were beautiful and I stopped for a few shots. I was particularly happy to see some mushrooms. They were the first ones I’d seen in decent shape after the hot dry summer. The rain has finally caught up with us now. I hope there’s still a bit of fall foliage remaining once the wet and wind taper off and that I have a wide angle lens with me next time.
The white breasted nuthatch is a very dextrous bird. They will often turn sideways and upside down on surfaces as they hunt for food. I have watched these birds and photographed them for quite a while now and have yet to see a bird pose as perfectly as in first photo. I thought I’d try it in b/w and was quite pleased with the results.
Another grey rainy day. It calls for some colour, so I thought I’d post some butterflies. A bit of summer therapy! Skippers have a short season here but when they make their appearance they’re everywhere. The three on a blade of grass were a perfect example of leading lines, they couldn’t have been more cooperative!
I took these photographs of wild flowers in mid-September. Although they were beginning to fade they were still beautiful. The flowers were growing in a garden bed on municipal land in the downtown core. They caught my eye not only for their beauty but because they were the same variety of wild flowers you’d see growing along a country road. Although planted with some thought for colour and form they replicated what you’d see in nature. When I got closer, I was also pleased to see that they attracted bees and other insects just like their country cousins.
In going through my catalogues of photos to decide on today’s post, I came across these photographs that I took in July. The air was thick with all kinds of dragonflies and damselflies then. Now in October, when the sun is at its warmest, there is still the odd one to be seen. The tail end of the season is always bittersweet but looking at these photos goes no small way in bringing back the pleasure and the warmth of the summer that has just ended.
The first photograph was taken late last Fall as the wigeons were migrating south. They remained at the lake until the first frost and returned briefly in the Spring before heading to their northern breeding grounds. When I set out earlier in the week I was hoping to see them once again and luckily I spotted this second pair. Their colouring is less striking than last year’s couple (post-breeding stage). As the season begins to wind down the wigeons are the most welcome of visitors.
The first two photographs were taken in May when the trees were just beginning to bud. The third photo was taken in late summer. Chickadees can move at incredible speeds so the bare trees in early spring made it easier to focus. As winter wasn’t that far in the past they would linger a little longer to see if I had any seed. We didn’t see them in great numbers over the summer as there were plenty of natural food sources for them. Luckily the plant in the last photo was in plain sight and I watched as first a warbler and then this chickadee stopped by for a bite. With the cooler weather here they’re following us along the path again, and I’ll be posting more photographs of them before too long.
Wood Ducks seem to be in competition with the fall foliage at this time of year. The leaves haven’t yet reached their peak but the ducks are at their finest. The mature and juvenile ducks are everywhere you look, creating flashes of colour as they glide along. The autumn light and trees create beautiful reflections in the water and I took some photos as the duck swam by. The reflections creating a perfect canvas for these marvellous ducks.
This lovely butterfly can be seen in our region June-August but I only saw it a few times this summer. It’s known to be a fast flying fritillary but this one flew at a leisurely pace allowing me to take a number of photos. Although we’re having a warmer than normal fall, it was grey and rainy today. A butterfly was just what I needed!
I’ve always enjoyed long walks in parts of the city I’m not familiar with as they always hold surprises. The first two photographs were taken on a brilliant sunny day. These kinds of conditions make it simpler to get things right in camera. I thought of turning the third photograph into black and white but preferred the tonality of the concrete as it was.
This cardinal was moulting and still had a few feathers out of place. A handsome bird though and he stood his ground, curious and hoping I had some seeds for him. We have seen a cardinal on this stretch of path before and I believe this was the same bird because of its boldness. Unlike many cardinals that fly away as you approach them, this one was a great poser and after taking my fill of photographs I walked away before he flew off.
It was quiet at the reserve where I took this photograph. The larger birds were out of my lens’ range but these ducks were nice and close. Although the days are still mild, the angle of the sun and quality of the light is different than it was just a month ago. It lends a more muted feel to the photograph which I rather like.
These photographs were taken in August when the lake was brimming with frogs. With the cooler weather here, we haven’t seen any in weeks and I think that’s probably it for the year. When I came upon this frog, I had to laugh. He was right up against this tree stump and it looked like he was taking the measure of the obstacle up ahead. I continued on my walk and when I returned to check on him an hour later, he was no longer there. I did see a frog on a lily pad on the other side of the stump and wondered if it was the same frog. If it was, did it go up and over or take a detour?
Although city born and bred, in the short time that I’ve been doing photography I’ve gravitated towards nature photography. I love being in the outdoors and a camera by my side has become a natural extension of that experience. A combination of factors has led me to try street photography: weather (it can get mighty cold here in winter and walking through the woods in -20C isn’t that appealing); exploring the more interesting parts of my city on foot (you see so much more than when driving by in a car); and an interest in trying something new and expanding my photography skills. So here goes…
I’m fond of these little birds with their oversized heads and nasal calls. They’re often seen moving sideways or upside down on tree trunks; I was happy to catch this nuthatch in an upright position. It was in a dark part of the forest so I made a few exposure adjustments in Lightroom and corrected a slight green colour-cast in Photoshop.
I live in an area of the city that is a mix of the old and the new. Although it’s the downtown, when you veer off the main roads you’re in little neighbourhoods with an older feel. On this particular day I set out to take some cityscapes, something I haven’t done much of. My focus was on brick and glass, the play of light, patterns and shadow. I was working in that vein and then came upon the scene captured in these photographs; an old house with a tiny lawn and wrought iron fence that abutted the sidewalk. Room enough for this sparrow and a morning glory.
We have seen several Great Egrets over the past few weeks at the reserve we visit. When I came upon this individual it was perched on top of a beaver lodge, around 50 feet from where I stood along with some other photographers. I’m sure it saw us but didn’t seem to mind. It turned and stretched and preened for quite a while then hopped off the lodge and waded in the water. Although there are a few Egrets at the lake, I think I’ve been photographing the same bird each time I visit as it’s always in the same general area. This is the first in a series of Great Egret posts that will appear on my blog.
Fall begins today but the weather has remained nice and warm and we haven’t seen the last of the flowers. I took these photographs on a particularly sunny day last week when it felt more like July than mid September. I was happy that the metallic bee landed on the flower in the second photograph. A little jewel in a sea of gold.
The Canada Geese are back in record numbers. They return to our area in late March to breed. Once their goslings are raised they fly off and then return in the fall until the first frost. Many consider them pests; they can be messy, large and loud but there’s something you have to like about these birds. They’re graceful in flight and in the water and do mug for the camera.
I’m putting this post up on a dark rainy afternoon at the end of summer. In going through my photographs I came across this scene taken back in July. The warm colours and the industrious mimic fly was the perfect antidote for the scene outside my window.
This heron’s “fancy pants” and prominent yellow eye markings caught my eye. It was perched in the shadows and seemed to hold my gaze. It wasn’t fishing when I caught up to it, it just stood there and obliged me with a couple of photographs. The photo was a bit dark out of camera so I made some exposure, shadow and contrast adjustments in Lightroom and reduced the noise with Macphun Noiseless CK.
When I saw these two gulls perched on rocks in the river I was reminded of the game of skipping stones – the game of throwing a flat stone across the lake to see how many times it bounces off the surface. Their mottled colour and pink legs and beak identify them as juveniles. The river where I took this shot often hosts a number of herons and egrets but none were about that day. It’s good to keep in mind that even the most common of subjects can make for an interesting photograph. In this case it began with the memory of a game I played a long time ago. I thought the colour image would lend itself to a black and white treatment so I’ve posted it as well.
I like the way the purple of the flower contrasts with the butterfly. They do make you work for their portraits though as they move from flower to flower at breakneck speed. At first glance their colouring isn’t very remarkable but if you look more closely they have attractive markings and pale green eyes.
It’s been a good year for frogs at the lake. When birds and insects were in short supply, there were plenty of frogs to photograph. One spot in particular is dotted with tiny frogs, most submerged up to their necks. There is something very appealing about frogs and best of all most times they’ll sit still for a portrait!
At this point in the summer, the wildflowers have a more subtle beauty than earlier in the year. Their colours are less exuberant and seem to reflect the change of season. The first photograph made me think of a bouquet, minus the vase 🙂 With the unusually hot weather we’re having I hope the flowers hang on for a while longer.
This mallard was sharing the log with a few other ducks who were not doing much of anything. Most seemed to be asleep. She caught my attention, being the most alert of the group. As she struck this pose I expected her to take a drink from the lake but instead she returned to her former position. I guess she was just having a bit of fun.
I featured this heron a few posts ago when he caught a water bug. In this current series he was fishing for a bigger prize and after patient stalking caught a small fish. There have been several green herons at the reserve this summer. As they keep returning to the same shallows I have been lucky to spot them many times and have taken more photos than I do most years.
I enjoy taking photographs of bees. They’re attractive, they visit colourful flowers and the challenge of capturing a moving target adds to the fun. I took this photo with my 105mm lens using a flash and a diffuser. It’s a nice combination when taking fast moving insects as the flash freezes the movement of the insect and the diffuser softens the light nicely. Out of camera the background was rather flat, adjustments to the contrast, exposure and shadows brought out some detail.
Herons are wonderful looking birds at any time but to see them in flight and to witness two flying in tandem was a sight to see. I took these photographs with my 300mm lens and a teleconverter but I still could have used more reach. However, given the herons’ speed and my distance from them I’m pretty pleased with the results. I had seen a heron a day earlier when I had followed a path to the water’s edge. As I bent down to see past overhanging branches, a heron banked within several feet of me startled by my presence. That was the closest I had ever been to one and had I had the time to put my camera to my eye, it would have been too close to focus!
A few days earlier I had taken a head shot of a female wood duck and was looking for a similar head shot of a male. When I saw this male wood duck in the half light, I knew that my project would have to be put on hold. The light illuminated his body beautifully but his head was far too dark and the background too bright. I made some adjustments in Photoshop using Levels for contrast and Luminance Masks to darken the background and brighten the bird.
This heron was having a good day. First he scooped up the water bug, later on he caught a small fish (photos for a later post). I had a long lens with me that morning and standing on the muddy shoreline sharing limited space with several other photographers, I was happy to get a number of shots. The green herons have been late arriving this summer. They often fish quite close to shore and don’t seem to mind all the cameras pointed their way, making for a lot of good photo opportunities.
Mallards are the most common duck in our area and although some migrate south in the winter others remain throughout the year. You have to admire that as it gets mighty cold up here! I liked the different poses these two struck. The female looking calm and composed, the male not as much.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 