We hadn’t seen much on our walk but as often happens, we had better luck as we were heading back. I’ve only seen wood ducks once before this year so I was very happy to come across this female duck and one of her young.
DUCKS OUT OF WATER
The ducks at this reserve often take a walk by the car park. Mallards don’t mind people which makes for some nice photo opportunities.
A LITTLE ME TIME (TW0 PHOTOGRAPHS)
The chipmunk had found a quiet place to do a bit of grooming. If it sensed my presence it wasn’t bothered.
DRAGONFLY
I’ve only had a few opportunities to photograph dragonflies this year. They can be very flighty subjects but fortunately, not this one.
KEEPING COOL
On these hot summer days, the goslings seek the shade as do the rest of us.
GLOW
Walking through a public garden I spotted this flowering bush. Among all the plants, it attracted my attention. Its flowers reminded me of candle flames.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
The only sightings I’ve had this year of night herons have been in the same suburban park. He’s a handsome bird showing of his breeding plumage and those yellow feet 😊
DRESSED TO IMPRESS
I saw these mallards in early May taking a leisurely swim. Hoping to be noticed, I guess. 😊
IN THE WILD (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We had planned to go to a park by the river but there was an event going on so we went to a nearby trail instead. There weren’t many birds but there was a nice variety of wildflowers. The bladder campion, though not native to North America, has been naturalized and insects are attracted to its nectar.
R0SE AND FRIEND
Among all the bees, I saw this one little wasp seeking some nectar. Like bees, wasps are also pollinators.
THE PLACE WAS JUMPING
There must have been several bullfrogs in the pond, given the racket as we approached the water. I watched and waited as the frog inflated his throat. He was likely trying to call a mate or guard his territory.
GOOSE ON THE LOOSE
Earlier this spring, I caught this goose in a quiet moment with a bit of green stuck in its beak 😏
EASTERN PHOEBE
We stopped by a wildlife garden recently and were told that a hummingbird was in the area. While waiting for it to appear (never saw it) I saw this phoebe and took several shots. I was also told the phoebe had a nest nearby (which I never spotted), so I imagine the caterpillar was for its chicks.
ROBIN (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I’ve seen a lot of healthy looking robins this year. We’ve had a good mix of sun and rain, food must be plentiful.
DISTORTED VIEW
I have been doing some street photography recently. Towards the end of a walk I noticed this tower under construction. The reflection made for an interesting if distorted view of the surrounding buildings.
GRACKLE
I knew that grackles were omnivores but I was still surprised to see it fishing. He flew away with his catch a short time later.
CHIPMUNK CAPER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Where did I hide that nut?
Maybe it’s over here.
ALLSORTS
From the brilliant to the more subtle, each flower has its own beauty and uniqueness.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
Even on a quiet day you can count on the appearance of a Red-winged Blackbird. I’ve seen more this year than ever before.
GOSLING
It’s fun to watch a gosling explore a bit on its own. The parent birds were close enough if it ran into trouble.
WILD FLOWERS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Buttercups and fleabane daisies are considered weeds but I prefer to call them wildflowers, Both of these photos were taken in the woods where they grow freely. The frothy substance on the stem of the buttercup is produced by immature spittlebugs, a definite concern for gardeners yet it appears on a variety of garden plants as well.
SEEN ON A WALK
The trees along this path are close to the river bank and almost touch the water. I was rewarded with these reflections on a recent walk.
DAMSELFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It’s always nice to see the first damselflies of spring.
I liked the leaves in this photo, the damselfly on the left was secondary.
Like Clockwork (Two Photographs)
Every year at this time, these wild rose bushes are covered in bees. We had taken a walk about two weeks ago to see how the flowers were developing but they were just beginning to bud. This past weekend we returned and were happy to see some bees gathering pollen.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
I didn’t see the heron catch anything but he was certainly trying.
Spring Update (Two Photographs)
It seems that every week, new flowers are appearing in gardens and woodlands. Not enough time to catch them all 😊
SPLISH, SPLASH
The Red-winged Blackbird seemed to be enjoying her bath.
SPRING SAMPLER
I took this earlier in the Spring as the migrants were beginning to return. This little island was a perfect spot for the birds to have a look around,
DANDY BEE
There are some who don’t appreciate dandelions. I like them and so do bees.
WHAT THE GRACKLES SAW
I don’t know what the grackles were looking at but it sure grabbed their attention.
YOUNG CANADA GEESE
Two weeks ago I saw some goslings in this location. If these are the same geese, I imagine they’re now about a month old. They mature quickly and reach adult size in about 10 weeks.
TABLE FOR ONE
This handsome goldfinch zipped by, headed for the feeder. With no other birds around he had it all to himself.
Spring Gold
There are new flowers in bloom everytime I look around. Today I noticed this iris beaming back at me.
RED SQUIRREL
I was pleased the squirrel slowed down for a minute so I could take the shot.
KING OF THE HILL
Do you ever have the feeling you’re being watched 😏
A BOBBIN OF ROBINS
There are many collective nouns for robins. How nice that bobbin is one of them. It’s been a very good year for this bird as I’ve had many sightings.
PAINTED TURTLE
The temperature still dips at night and the daytime highs are struggling to reach 20Cs/68F but the sun is warm and the turtles have started to reappear. This painted turtle continues to wear a familiar grumpy expression too.
WILD FOR VIOLETS
Often considered a weed as it self seeds in lawns and gardens, the common blue violet is native to eastern North America. I look forward to them every spring.
Black-crowned Night Heron
This was my first sighting of a Black-crowned Night Heron this year, looking somewhat ruffled.The suburban park where I took this photo borders the river and attracts a lot of wildlife. I wonder what’s next 😊
BENEATH THE SEA
I saw this plant at a recent visit to a local wildlife garden. I thought it looked a bit like an aquatic plant. I haven’t been able to identify it.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 