Two more wildflowers that I look forward to seeing each summer. The flower in the first photo gets it’s name from the pistils in the middle of the flower which develop into heads of seeds with long fuzzy hairs. They look like smoke. The vibrant yellow of the sunflower attracts me as it did the bee. Like many other areas this summer, we are experiencing drought-like conditions, you may notice the heat stress on the flower’s leaves.
These painted turtles look pretty put out. In other reserves where the turtles tend to dive for cover when you approach, these turtles stay put and glare. Like frogs they blend in well to their surroundings. On a windless day if I see duckweed floating on the surface of the water, chances are a turtle underneath it is propelling it along.
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.
Walking by this exterior wall I thought at first that someone had decided not to finish up the plastering. On giving it a second look I saw a skyline emerging from the surface. I’ll have to return to photograph the rest of the wall as the story continues along the brick. A hidden gem in an older part of town.
This photo was taken on a windy day, and gives the impression that there were fields of chives growing and not just the small patch I saw in the garden. This tasty plant produces such an attractive flower.
Winter or summer, set off against snow or foliage, cardinals are such handsome birds. Often shy, I seldom have a chance to focus on them for very long but not this bird. He stayed put, only moving a bit to change his pose.
Another photo taken on a walk through my neighbourhood. I’m always amazed when I see bees going about their business alongside busy streets. You don’t expect them to thrive in this kind of environment but they seem to, to the delight of people and flowers alike.
We’ve been doing more photo walks in the city, as wildlife at the nearby reserve is pretty scarce right now. We’re taking our time in areas we normally tend to rush through and are finding things of interest and beauty. The plants in the first two photos would look at home in the tropics, lush and dense but they are growing in some containers on a patio. The third photo is of a flower that made its way through a hedge and I liked the strong contrast of white and green. When I set out on one of these walks I never know what I might see and my 24-70mm lens gives me some latitude for nature as well as street scenes.
On a lazy hot day, I passed these frogs hanging out just off the viewing platform. There was nothing much about, a few ducks, a few dragonflies and these two. We went on our way and on our return the frogs had barely moved, waiting it seemed for lunch to show up.
The other day we followed a trail that led to an open field bordering a busy road. An unlikely spot to find wild grasses and flowers and skippers! We saw one skipper, then another, then a good number more. I would have preferred using a macro lens for these photos (I had a birding lens on my camera) but you can get some nice closeup shots with a telephoto lens too.
There’s something very appealing about these back porches. You get a feel for the people who live in these houses, from the flowers to the statuary to the pet’s water bowl. They reveal more about their occupants than the street view implies.
I like unruly gardens, although I appreciate that an untended appearance can be very deceiving. As we walked down our street we approached an old home with weathered brick walls and a small garden out front. I liked the contrast of the green against the red brick. I took the second photo further down the street. The sun illuminating the plant caught my eye and working with exposure compensation I took the result you see here.
A walk in my downtown neighbourhood is always interesting. It’s a mix of old and new homes and apartments many of which have tiny gardens. Although most of the peonies are beginning to fade, this particular bush has not yet come into flower and I focused on this ant as it ran in circles. I increased the shutter speed enough to get it in focus.
The orioles arrived right on schedule in mid-May. May is their peak nesting period and we saw more than we normally do this year. Haven’t seen them since though. They are such brilliant little birds and add welcome colour to the spring landscape. This oriole kept popping in and out of the flowering tree, I guess there were many insects about.
I liked the way the first dragonfly peered out between the leaves and stayed still as I set up my shot. In the photo below, the dragonfly had just recently emerged, one of the first of the season. Every few days it seems new varieties appear, particularly welcome this spring as birding subjects have proved less reliable.
Hairy woodpeckers are a little less common in our woods than the downy woodpeckers which they closely resemble, so it’s always a good day when I spot one. This female was intent on finding some insects and my presence didn’t deter her in the least.
One of the first spring migrants to our region, yellow-rumps are a sure sign of the change of seasons. Our local reserve had so many that when we asked a fellow photographer in passing what he had seen, he answered “nothing, just yellow-rumps”. As they remain for only 2-3 weeks I can’t imagine tiring of them that quickly.
All kinds of subjects are vying for my attention this spring. Our senses are inundated by colour, scent, movement and life! New wildflowers seem to appear from one day to the next, the first two shown here just popped up.
A few weeks ago there were few insects around. In the last ten days or so with the return of damselflies and dragonflies, it feels like summer has arrived even though it’s still spring. I didn’t have my macro gear with me the day I took these photos, I used my 70-200mm and I had to crop quite a bit. I was pleased I could capture the detail.
This young woodpecker was aware of us as she made her way from the tree to the water’s edge. She remained on the ground for a good five minutes having a drink and looking around. I have never been as close to a pileated before or seen one on the ground, it was pretty thrilling.
We were walking along a forest trail when I saw first one, then many more trilliums. They are such striking flowers. These were the first I had seen this year, and though still beautiful no longer in their prime. Even so I took many photos, more of which I will feature later on. Trilliums don’t really need any dressing up but I did think this caterpillar was a nice added touch.
A few of my recent posts have had river based themes. As I walked by this scene what first caught my eye were the fungi on the fallen log. I had just seen some mushrooms further up the trail and I guess I was on the lookout. But taking in the surroundings, I was again struck by the stillness and the serenity of the scene, so very appealing.
I wouldn’t have noticed this leopard frog if I hadn’t been looking in its general direction. Perhaps my footsteps startled him and he leapt for cover under the dandelion. These frogs are so well camouflaged that I wonder how many I may have overlooked so far this spring, this being my first sighting.
We don’t see too many chipmunks anymore. They’re outnumbered by red and grey squirrels. I was happy to see this little fellow enjoying his cracker with no competition from the bigger guys. It looks like his snack just fell out of a picnic basket, his for the asking.
The water is still high along the river. The winter thaw and runoff is a constant in Spring. This part of the province isn’t too badly effected this year although parts of the country are having a very hard time of it. This is about as close as we get to “swamp-like” conditions and like the other images from Hudson, Quebec I featured last week, I was struck by the tranquility of the scene.
Montreal is a very walkable city and I love exploring its streets. These photos were taken in the east end, where commercial and residential buildings share the same space. It’s alive with colour, activity and fine old architecture. And you’re never far from a cafe that serves good coffee.
It was nice to see this sparrow on the ground at a relatively close distance. I usually spot them high up in the trees flying from branch to branch. The bird was nicely framed by new vegetation and seemed to be listening for something.
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.
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.
There are many wood duck pairs at the lake this spring, it should be a good year for them. I was told that a wood duck had been seen entering a nest in a tree trunk whose previous tenant had been a woodpecker. It shouldn’t be too long before we see the first ducklings.
This cliff side view of Canada’s Parliament Buildings is an impressive sight. The photo was taken on a brilliant spring day but I thought the Gothic Revival architecture lent itself to a black and white treatment. The Parliament Hill complex was rebuilt in 1916 after a fire raised the original to the ground, only the Library of Parliament (the building on the far right) survived the fire. After more than a century the buildings are in the process of being renovated but at this writing, you can still walk around the grounds, toss a ball on the lawn, even raise a protest sign!
In early spring, whenever I see the first of something it’s cause to smile. I have seen a few trout lilies this season but this was the first bee I’ve spotted. Although a lot of the cultivated flowers are in bloom, the wildflowers are slow to appear as are insects. It made the bee especially nice to see.
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.
Spring hadn’t quite arrived in this laneway yet. The homeowner was prepared for what ever came his way as you can see by the traffic cones, snow shovels and garden tools propped up again his shed. I liked the textures of the wood and plaster and worked in Tonality Pro to bring them out.
Two very different photos of the same subject taken months apart. In the first, the bird was very close by and I was struck by his dramatic eye. The other was taken last summer and I couldn’t have posed him better myself.
The shape and colour of these old fashioned hats reminded me of the fondant candy I enjoyed as a kid. There was nothing sweeter or better tasting I thought.
The antique market was below street level and the illumination was low. I raised my ISO to get some speed but still only shot at 1/80th of a second. I think the lighting added to the mood and worked quite well.
In the first photo the bird is checking his progress so far. In the other two the woodpecker has just landed. The condition of the tree is the result of a short lived but powerful storm that hit this area last fall and left hundreds of trees severely damaged or destroyed. Fortunately for the birds and we nature lovers enough remain for the birds to breed and build their nests. Always a treat to see these flashy birds in the woods.
These little birds blend in so well that often it’s only their song that alerts you to their presence. We were joined on the trail by some avid birdwatchers who happened to point this one out. Song sparrows migrate to our region in the warmer months to breed, along with other summer visitors. Always a pleasure to see yet another species return for a while.
And now for a little change of pace, with the arrival of milder weather the painted turtles have returned to the surface after a long winter of hibernation. I spotted a few on the weekend and when I returned to the lake today there were even more about. Another welcome sign of the season.
This mallard was swimming his patch of the lake, there’s still a bit of ice around but not enough to keep him by the shoreline. It was a beautiful sunny day and the sun caught the brilliance of his feathers. Spring is definitely here, he was looking his best and if he hasn’t gotten hitched up it won’t be long now!
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 