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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
