I liked the look of this Halloween decoration, someone got very creative with their pumpkins this year.
LATE FALL – 3 (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
A few more flowers taken recently and looking pretty seasonal. With the temperature continuing to drop, scenes such as these are fast disappearing. Although a few hardy flowers are still hanging on.
CHICKADEE
I usually see chickadees out in the open flitting from branch to branch. I caught this bird in a quiet moment well off the path in challenging light. I liked the photo but hesitated before posting it because of the flare at the bottom of the image. Still worth featuring though.
On another note, a few of you let me know that you were unable to see the image that accompanied my last post. Mike Bizeau of naturehasnoboss.com had the same problem and suggested I set my image as a featured image. Like Mike, this has altered the appearance of my website (a change I don’t like) but until this glitch has been fixed I will continue to post in this way and hope you will all see my images.
BEECAUSE
As the first light snow of the season falls outside, what better time to revisit a scene like this. I can almost feel the sun on my face and hear the bees buzzing 😏.
TWO GRASSHOPPERS
I haven’t taken too many grasshoppers. If you manage to scare one up when walking along and see where it lands, you have a chance at a photo. That’s why this shot was particularly lucky. I came across these two when focusing on something else in the grass and saw them frozen on the stalk.
LATE FALL – 2 (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The first flower is wearing its Halloween colours, The second still has a petal or two but my eye was attracted by its intricate centre. You might have to look a little longer for flower subjects at this point in the fall but they’re out there.
GOLDFINCH IN FALL
I took this photo in October of last year. I’m not sure if this is a female goldfinch or a male in non breeding colours. Either way, an attractive bird in a thoughtful pose.
CHIPMUNK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
More chipmunk photographs from earlier this summer. With the colder weather setting in I hope this chipmunk has a good cache of nuts set aside. Judging by those cheeks I think he must have 😊.
OCTOBER WOOD DUCKS
I took this photo last October. I haven’t been back to this reserve since then but imagine the wood ducks are about to head south once again. Their travel has not been affected this year. Lucky ducks 😏.
GENTLE FALL
This part of the trail is closely packed with undergrowth. The maple leaf’s fall was broken by a nearby stem. I enjoy finding these minor players in the bigger fall show.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
The nuthatch was creeping along the tree trunk, struck a typical pose and then was off. These birds are constantly on the move so I was pleased to get this photo before it flew away.
SOUTHWARD BOUND
I saw this white-throated sparrow last October. Although many remain in North America during the winter, given our cold climate, I believe this one was just passing through on its way south. There was plenty for it to eat on this warm fall day.
GREEN HERON
I watched as the green heron carefully scanned the water looking for a passing fish. It watched, it patrolled, and waited some more. All the herons I’ve photographed are the most patient of fishermen, more patient than this photographer. I took some photos and left the bird as I continued my walk.
A LOOK BACK
Summer has just ended but I already miss sights like these. There are still a few bees and flowers about but their numbers are dwindling as the temperature drops.
PILEATED WOODPECKER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I usually see pileated woodpeckers high up in the trees, rarely on the ground. As we were walking along we came across this bird excavating the bark of a fallen tree. It must have been full of insects because he continued on long after we had taken our fill of photographs and moved on.
MALE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Although quite common, I’ve only seen a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker once, a few years ago. They are fairly small and beautifully patterned woodpeckers. We heard the bird hammering away at a tree and followed the sound. It was busy feeding and wasn’t at all bothered by our presence.
LATE FALL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We are very lucky to live in a climate where we’re treated to the changing seasons. The trees are beginning to make dazzling displays. As colourful as they are right now, I find them interesting subjects and still beautiful as they begin to fade and show the effects of time.
FALL CROCUS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I was surprised to see these crocus growing in a friend’s garden. It’s a flower I thought only grew in the spring, often pushing through the melting snow. For a second there I thought we had skipped winter and gone directly into spring 😏.
METALLIC BEE
The metallic bee goes by several names, the least attractive being sweat bee which doesn’t do it justice. This one is a female, as its able to carry pollen on its back legs, the male is not. Their season is drawing to a close so it was nice to catch sight of just one more this year.
CHIPMUNK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I think this was a young chipmunk as it stayed quite close and watched me as I took some photographs of him. Young animals seem quite curious, this one was. I hope it grows up quickly because there’s a lot of danger lurking nearby.
FALL DUCK
This is another photo taken late last fall. The water has a flat murky look and the only real colour is the mallard which also looks a bit muted in tone and expression.
AROUND THE CORNER
This photo was taken late last October. I remember being surprised at how green the leaf was while the rest of the landscape looked like the frost had done its work. Although it’s still summer here I know that scenes like this aren’t far off.
THE ELPHIN (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The Elphin is an iconic 1960s apartment building in Ottawa. The building had all the amenities of the day, including a darkroom for camera enthusiasts. The Elphin with its namesake elf and look retains a charm lost by the modern glass towers nearby.
LEOPARD FROG
We were both heading in the same direction when the frog suddenly jumped as I approached. I only got this one shot and was pleased with the natural vignette.
LATE SUMMER FLOWERS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Most flowers are not as vibrant as they were earlier in the summer but they still hold a special beauty.
GIANT SWALLOWTAIL
The swallowtail was flitting from flower to flower when I caught it in flight looking my way. It lingered for quite a while and so did I.
LATE SUMMER IN THE GARDEN
A took this photograph in a friend’s garden in mid-August. She told me its name which I’ve forgotten but I believe it’s a member of the orchid family. A summer beauty.
MOURNING DOVE
It was nice to catch the mourning dove tilting its head. I thought it made for a more interesting photo. I learned that they exist in large numbers and are prolific breeders which is a good thing, as they’re heavily hunted in North America. Their name is derived from their rather plaintive call.
RAILWAY OSPREYS (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
There are quite a few abandoned railway bridges in the countryside. With the closure of many Mills, railroads were no longer needed to move goods. Some of the bridges have been reclaimed by Ospreys who build their nests and raise their young on them. When we noticed the nest on the first bridge, we stopped the car and waited to see what would happen. We didn’t have to wait long as an adult flew in to feed the young bird.
CARDINALS CHILLING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Different male cardinals, photographed on the same day. Both birds are moulting although the first bird looks somewhat rougher than the second. I took these photos last year about this time. The breeding season is now past, food is plentiful and even the birds get to chill for a bit. 😊
BUDDIES
These mallards were enjoying a quiet swim away from the noisy raft of ducks closer to shore. This was another image from last fall that I found on an old memory card.
MUSKRAT
You can see how the muskrat got its name. It has quite the tail. Like the beaver the muskrat uses its tail as a rudder and slaps it when it senses danger. They are terrific swimmers and when they dive it’s difficult to determine where they will resurface.
OWL AND THE CHICKADEE
The woods were quiet, no squirrels about. This usually means there’s an owl or hawk nearby. Sure enough we saw this Screech Owl comfortably perched in the cavity of a tree. What did surprise me was the agitated chickadee flying close to the dozing owl. Brave or reckless, I couldn’t decide.
FLOATING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I was looking at some Queen Anne’s Lace in the garden and saw this single flower off to the side. It seemed to be floating, suspended in mid air. A little garden gem.
GEESE, LOST AND FOUND (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I found this image on a memory card that was in a camera I hadn’t picked up in months. It was like finding something you had forgotten about in a coat pocket. The cooler days aren’t here yet but scenes like these are fast approaching.
UNDERCOVER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It’s been a very hot dry summer. After just a bit of rain, a few mushrooms are starting to appear. I spotted these two in deep shade. Even at ISO 1000 my depth of field was a bit narrow. This rather ordinary subject is always challenging fun.
FEMALE MALLARD (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took these photos from a floating bridge. I was using a long lens, the duck was close by and I couldn’t put much distance between me and the duck. I would have liked more but you can’t really go wrong with a subject like this.
MY BAGS ARE PACKED
Yesterday was the first time I’ve picked up a camera in a long while. We spent the morning with friends in their wonderful garden. As we walked and talked I took a couple of photos. I was pretty pleased with the results, and was happy to see that I could still shoot a moving object. 😊
ORANGE HAWKWEED
Orange hawkweed is considered a weed but it produces a lovely flower and it grows just about anywhere. It’s also favoured by honeybees so it can’t be all bad!
OVER THE FENCE (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
A lot of old homes in my neighbourhood have wrought iron fences with flowers peaking through the gaps. The grass is always greener…
