The woodpecker had been drilling away at the tree for some time when he suddenly looked up, perhaps taking a break from all that hammering.
A GOOD RUN
We began to see cabbage white butterflies in April and we continue to see them. I think we’ve now seen several generations of this butterfly and they are by far the most numerous around here this year.
WINDING DOWN
There are still flowers about but on some recent walks, the gardens are looking more like this. As for the trees they have begun to show off their fall colours.
LINE UP
Many of the older homes here have been built with red brick. It does provide a nice backdrop for these late summer flowers.
AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS
I like these large ducks, close relatives of mallards. They’re often seen swimming together and also tend to be a little less vocal 😏
Balancing Act
Japanese beetles are a form of scarab beetle and were introduced to North America in the early 1900’s. They have beautiful colouring but are highly destructive to plants and crops. This one was balancing on some Queen Anne’s Lace.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
We tend to see more goldfinch in the late summer and early fall as flowers dry and form seed heads, their food of choice. This male looks like he’s beginning to moult.
WINDOW ON THE WORLD
I often spot a cat in the window as I walk by a house. In this case, a dog was watching as its owners drove away in the car. He took a moment to look in my direction too.
SUMMER REFLECTIONS
Taken one day in early September.
MID AIR – 2
I caught the bee as it darted between the flowers. Always nice when this happens!
IT’S THE JOURNEY
On a recent drive heading to a new birding area, we stopped when we saw this pond close to a suburban development. The water was teeming with several egrets, cormorants and a lot of other water birds. We never did make it to our original destination.
SUMMER’S END -2
I don’t look forward to the end of summer but do enjoy these kinds of photo opportunities.
SPARROW AND FRIEND
I had hoped the sparrow would land where it did!
PEACHY
Our neighbour grows the most beautiful peach coloured roses. I stopped by often this summer,
NORTHERN CARDINAL
I enjoy seeing cardinals no matter the season. I saw this one in the spring. He struck a fine pose too.
LAZY SUNDAY
This dog has it made. 😊
GREEN HERON
I saw the heron in the reeds but couldn’t get a clear shot. All of a sudden it decided to fly across the pond and I caught this. More to come…
MID AIR
I took a number of shots of the monarch but only realized I caught it in mid air when I got home 😊
CHIPMUNK
I stopped and watched this cute little guy as he paused between bites to look at me. I finally walked away and left him to his snack.
SOFT LANDING
As I walked along the path the grasshoppers scattered. Luckily I saw this one land.
Blue Jay
I don’t see Blue Jays too often. I waited for this one to fly to a tree after it stopped at a feeder.
TIPPYTOES
I haven’t seen many Asian Lady Beetles (pictured) or Ladybugs lately. Last year I saw some around this time so I’m still hopeful I will!
GROUNDHOG IN THE GREEN
I’m always surprised at how hefty groundhogs look as their diet consists mainly of grass and the contents of people’s vegetable gardens 😏. They hibernate from late fall through the winter so right now they’re working on their fat reserves.
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS – TWO PHOTOGRAPHS
Not to be overlooked.
BARRED OWL
People we met on the trail pointed us in the general direction of this barred owl. Unlike other owls who often keep close to the trunk or inside a tree cavity, barred owls often are quite easy to spot if you know where to look. This owl was my first of the year.
Road’s End
After a long drive we thought we’d make one last stop. I took this photo at a conservation area close to home.
Had I followed the rules of landscape photography, I would have had more in the foreground but I wanted to convey the vastness of this wetland.
SUMMER’S END
The landscape is looking more like Autumn. There’s still much to enjoy but our long awaited summer is coming to an end,
This Old House
A lot of older homes here are built of brick and have wonderful wood trim. In need of a little paint and yard work, this house still has considerable charm.
REFLECTIVE GOOSE
I like photographing geese and reflections. I got quite lucky here.
WATER LILY
If you’re lucky a dragonfly will land nearby. Just the water lily that day, still not too shabby 😏
GOOSE GATHERING
I watched as the two geese joined the rest of the group, they really look like small aircraft on the descent 😊
A SLIGHT SHIFT – 4
The reflections in the river are taking on an autumn feel too.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE
Some years I see chickadees everywhere. I haven’t seen many this summer but as they remain year round I hope for more opportunities.
EGRET ANTICS
As we followed the path down to the beach we saw an egret standing in the long grass. After a while it turned towards the river and we left it to its wandering.
CABBAGE WHITE
I followed this cabbage white as it moved from flower to flower. This one looked a little bleary eyed from all that nectar 😏
MALLARD ON A MISSION
At least it looked like that to me 😊
ANOTHER BUSY BEE
I think I’m seeing more bees now than I was earlier in the summer as the season nears its end.
A SLIGHT SHIFT – 3
Late summer – cooler nights, and daytime temperatures still nice and warm, the landscape now a mix of flowers and grasses.
AT THE LAKE
I’ve seen very few dragonflies this summer, I was happy to see this one.
The Best Dining
Under the bird feeder was the place to be for this red squirrel.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 