I haven’t seen too many Baltimore Orioles so it was a pleasure to photograph this bird, feeding on the nectar of these flowers. They are among the many migrants to our area each spring.
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DUCK OUT OF WATER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took a break from aiming at warblers high in the pine trees when I saw the wood duck. I don’t often see these birds on land and thought the background made for an interesting photo. (I don’t think anyone with me noticed the wood duck, as they had their eyes trained on the quick darting warblers.)
GETTING ALONG
The log was a popular spot for both turtles and ducks that day, crowded but room for everyone. I love scenes like these. A good lesson for us all!
MONARCHS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Last year was a terrific one for butterflies; monarchs and painted ladies seemed to be everywhere. Monarchs were a particular pleasure as we hadn’t seen too many in recent years. I took these in September, shortly they would begin their migration to central Mexico.
A FINE RED
I’ve photographed many red squirrels but I’ve never seen one with such striking highlights before. Perhaps it was the light and shadow that day. A fine little guy, enjoying his snack.
OVER THE FENCE
A pretty front garden, seen on one of our walks. It was late October and the flowers were faded but still beautiful. The garden was carefully landscaped but still had a pleasing informal air.
GRASSHOPPER
Grasshoppers are always fun to photograph, when you can find one. I only saw this grasshopper because it jumped onto a stalk of grass as I was walking by. It gripped the grass as still as could be and I took my shot.
TOP TO BOTTOM (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Tall buildings and architectural features aren’t my usual photo subjects. But it’s nice to try new things with my photography which are as much a part of my environment as the woods I love to walk. The sky peering through the towers is still a nod to nature.
The powerful base of The Old Union Station, (now the Senate of Canada), a building I walk by often is impressive for its form and detail.
AMERICAN WIGEON
Every year in late October, several pairs of American Wigeons stop here on their migration south. You can almost tell the date by these birds. I took quite a few photographs of them and will feature more over the coming months.
NUTHATCH – 2
I featured this nuthatch, in a late October post, looking half asleep. In this photo the bird had reached the end of the branch and looked like it was weighing its options.
LOVE BUGS
The ladybug is a a pretty common beetle, although I’ve only seen a couple this summer, including this pair. They come in many varieties and are useful insects as they eat a lot of garden pests.
IRIS
Following a trail down to the lake one year, I spotted an Iris growing right off the water. I was standing close to the water’s edge, looking for ducks and almost missed the flower tucked to the side. Every June, I follow the same trail down to the lake and continue to see the Iris return each year.
MORE DUCKS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
These photos were taken in October at different locations. The first by the river’s edge with low lying vegetation, the second photo of the mallard and his American black duck friend in a forest setting. In the first there is no mistaking the subject, in the second I believe the ducks share the stage with the brilliant fall reflections.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
The goldfinch was moving between the late Fall sunflowers, feeding as it went. It seemed to have the field to itself as I saw no other birds around. It was quite acrobatic, most times balancing upside down. I was pleased to get this shot right-side up in perfect natural light.
BIG CHILL (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
As the temperature continues to drop, photos like these bring summer back. So much cheerier than the view outside my window of drifting snow and icy streets. If the temperature gets above zero anytime soon I’ll venture out with my camera; too cold right now for it or me.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
Nuthatches are flighty birds but this one stayed still for a while so I was able to take several photographs. He wasn’t foraging for insects when I photographed him so he remained upright instead of striking the usual sideways or upside down pose. Although considered quite common I rarely see a red-breasted nuthatch and was very pleased to see this one.
NEIGHBOURHOOD SCENES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Like many large cities, it’s the small neighbourhoods that make the city feel like home. At street level, past the glass and steel and high-rises. One such neighbourhood is a short distance from where I live. I like the mix of residential and commercial properties, often side by side. A little gritty, a little eclectic. A pleasure to walk in and always something to photograph.
SERVING OF SUMMER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I live in Ottawa, the capitol city that is often ranked the coldest in the world. It’s hard to believe that only a few short months ago the nearby fields were covered in flowers. Here’s a sweet reminder of what’s to come.
AMERICAN WIGEONS
Every year in the late fall we see a few wigeon pairs migrating through our area. It’s one of the more pleasant aspects of the changing seasons. When this pair swam apart I got several shots of each swimming through nice fall reflections. More to come.
MALLARD IN LATE FALL
I watched as this mallard trod carefully on a fine sheen of ice that had formed on the lake. It was late afternoon and I was taken by the light. At this time of the year no matter how grey and wet the day the golden hour truly is golden.
EYE TO EYE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I’ve found that when startled, a dragonfly will fly off but will often return to the same spot. That is what happened here although on its return it landed at a different angle. We get a good number of dragonflies over the summer, I believe this is a variety of meadowhawk.
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.
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.
OVER THE FENCE (TWO PHOTOS)
While exploring an unfamiliar neighbourhood we turned into a nearby laneway. I had seen this church from a distance but was unaware that it was in a perfect line of sight. For a moment I imagined myself in the warm mediterranean and not a chilly laneway in a city that has yet to see Spring.
RED SQUIRREL
Red Squirrels are pretty bold with other squirrels. Although much smaller than the greys they often chase them around. In this case the squirrel stood his ground and kept eating as I took his picture. He never took his eyes off me but didn’t budge either.
GOLDEN GEESE
Canada Geese get a lot of mixed reviews. They’re often loud, messy and aggressive, not one of our more popular exports! But when you capture them, with a beautiful fall reflection as background, no complaints here. I hope the geese haven’t moved on yet given the cold snap we’ve had. We’re off to check on them this afternoon and hope to find a few holdouts.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Our favourite reserve was damaged in a destructive windstorm storm last week and is closed to the public for the foreseeable future. We’ll miss the beauty of the place and the animals that call it home. In the meantime we’ve been exploring new trails and spotted this white-throated sparrow along one of them.
LANEWAYS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
There are some interesting laneways in the downtown that make for interesting walks in the summertime. Gardens spring up on balconies and even wild flowers push through the pavement. These two gatekeepers kept a watchful eye on me as I made my way down the lane.
PEARL CRESCENT BUTTERFLY (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I featured this butterfly last month and at the time I thought it was a Fritillary. Someone commenting on the post suggested it might be a a Pearl Crescent and I believe they were right. Identifying butterflies is a talent I am working on. I usually like to capture more of the eye of my subject but in this case I will settle for the butterfly’s beautiful wings. You might notice in these two photos that a bee is collecting pollen on the very same flower the butterfly is on. Perhaps a gentle sign from nature that we should all just get along.
BUSY SEASON (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
These photos were taken late in the summer when the bees were really stepping up production. They were everywhere you looked and though I had set out to take some bird photographs, I tend to try for whatever is at hand. The light was perfect that morning, and when I saw the bee against the flower. I took some shots. Taken with my 300mm lens and teleconverter, a bit of a challenge at such close range. I was able to get more insect photos well into September because the early fall was nice and mild.
FROG WATCH (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Frogs make excellent subjects, on land or in the water. Sometimes they blend in so well that you might only notice one if it jumps and catches your eye. The Leopard Frog in the first photo, didn’t make any sudden moves, I only noticed it when I was trying to track the flight of an insect. The second photo was taken before a recent rain, when these green frogs were easier to spot because the water was so shallow. I like the spider “tattoo” on its cheek.
FEMALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
At first I thought this was a sparrow but after a bit of research I believe it’s a female red-winged blackbird. Both the male and female blackbirds are striking, although quite dissimilar looking. It’s nice to find something in a photograph that sets it apart, in this case the bird’s head crest adds some interest. The bird was well into the woods when I spotted it so the photograph was quite dark. A few adjustments to the contrast and exposure brightened things up.
MORE COMMON GRACKLE PHOTOGRAPHS
The common grackle is another bird I look forward to seeing in the spring. If the lighting is right their colouring is pretty dramatic and their brilliant yellow eyes give them a determined look. It’s always nice to catch a bird doing something, in these shots it appears to be gathering nesting material. Although they cause a lot of crop damage, in the wild they are fun to watch and photograph.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
Two weeks ago Yellow-rumped warblers began appearing in large numbers. These photographs were taken over a period of a few days. These birds are another welcome sign of warmer weather and are one of the many birds that pass through on the spring migration. They are colourful and easy to spot but never stay still for long enough. I like the different poses of these three, they seem to be trying to say something.
DUCK ON ICE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
One of my first blog posts featured a male mallard on the same lake just as the ice was beginning to form. This is another of the shots I took that day. The lighting was particularly nice as the duck gingerly made her way along the ice. I thought the shot would lend itself to black and white and I used Tonality Pro in Photoshop to create the monochrome version. This is one of my first photos in black and white and I will do more in the future as I find it can make for a more detailed and nuanced image.
FLYCATCHER
I took this photograph last summer at the edge of the river. The bird kept flying in and out of the light but I kept my eye on it and this is the result. I love spotting a new bird and hope to see more of this variety over the course of the summer as flycatchers breed here in the warmer months before they migrate south.
