A few days earlier I had taken a head shot of a female wood duck and was looking for a similar head shot of a male. When I saw this male wood duck in the half light, I knew that my project would have to be put on hold. The light illuminated his body beautifully but his head was far too dark and the background too bright. I made some adjustments in Photoshop using Levels for contrast and Luminance Masks to darken the background and brighten the bird.
This heron was having a good day. First he scooped up the water bug, later on he caught a small fish (photos for a later post). I had a long lens with me that morning and standing on the muddy shoreline sharing limited space with several other photographers, I was happy to get a number of shots. The green herons have been late arriving this summer. They often fish quite close to shore and don’t seem to mind all the cameras pointed their way, making for a lot of good photo opportunities.
Mallards are the most common duck in our area and although some migrate south in the winter others remain throughout the year. You have to admire that as it gets mighty cold up here! I liked the different poses these two struck. The female looking calm and composed, the male not as much.
These flowers came into bloom within a day or two of a heavy rainfall. Despite their lovely sounding name I spotted them off a suburban bike path. Both photographs were taken in bright sunlight using a 300mm lens. The second one, taken a day later had the lens fitted with a teleconverter and taken at F-6.3, the background had less bokeh. I had geared up to try my luck with a kingfisher I had seen earlier in the week. It didn’t make an appearance but the flowers were as nice as ever and as the saying goes you “dance with the one that brung ya”.
Some squirrels in the reserve are quite tame, on alert for handouts. They’ll hold their ground as you approach them on the path in anticipation of a treat. Others will freeze in place hoping you won’t see them. I think this young squirrel wasn’t sure where he stood, hiding in plain sight.
I was about to cross the bridge that leads to the other side of the park when I saw this song sparrow just ahead of me. He wasn’t easily startled and I took a few shots. These sparrows are common little birds, but their colouring is striking. I believe the bird is a mature individual although given his stance in the first photo, I wondered for a moment. He reminded me of kid trying to steady himself.
Frogs make excellent subjects, on land or in the water. Sometimes they blend in so well that you might only notice one if it jumps and catches your eye. The Leopard Frog in the first photo, didn’t make any sudden moves, I only noticed it when I was trying to track the flight of an insect. The second photo was taken before a recent rain, when these green frogs were easier to spot because the water was so shallow. I like the spider “tattoo” on its cheek.
I usually crop closer to my subject but in this case the Black-capped chickadee was only one element of the photograph. I liked the way the branches framed the bird and the the leaves opposite it added balance to the shot. As I learn more about photography and look beyond the obvious subject in the frame, I see how the background and lighting and the play of colours can turn a photo into something you might look at just a bit longer.
There’s a platform off the water that provides an excellent view of the goings on at the reserve. Given the drought in our area the water level is low and the painted turtles are easier to spot as they swim around. In the first photo the turtle seemed to be treading water. I’ve never noticed one in that position before. I spotted the second turtle further along the trail. He was a fine looking example, his shell and claws quite striking. But what a grump!
This was only the third time I’ve come across a hummingbird moth. I had been looking around for birds and almost missed it. I followed the moth as it moved from flower to flower in no great hurry. This extraordinary looking insect feeds much like a hummingbird does by hovering in front of a flower and using its proboscis to feed on the nectar. All this happened within the first few minutes of entering the reserve. I came away thinking that if I saw nothing else on the trail that day it really wouldn’t matter.
I was standing along the muddy edge of the lake photographing a group of tiny frogs when this phoebe flew into view. I shifted my position on the log and kept snapping away. Shooting with a prime lens and with no time to back up, the tail of the bird is a little close to the frame. Happily the shots were nice and sharp so I’m not too bothered by the less than perfect crop. I made a few tonal adjustments in Lightroom to brighten up the photos.
We’re starting to enter that part of the summer when you get the first sense that the season is slowly coming to a close. Every time I notice some wildflowers begin to fade or not catch sight of a certain bird or insect I’ve seen all along, I feel time moving on and know that summer is growing short. These photographs were taken in June. I saw some skippers in July but it’s been several weeks since I’ve seen any. Cabbage Whites seem to be in the majority lately. There are still plenty of sunny hot days to enjoy but as a northern country we hold these days particularly dear and just wish they’d last a bit longer.
Wood Duck chicks and their parents seem to prefer this part of the lake. A few posts back I featured an adult female on the same log keeping an eye on her young. The wood duck is the only duck in North America that produces two broods a year. As we’ve had many adult pairs at the lake this summer we’re seeing a lot of chicks, more than any other species.
Damselflies are fun to photograph and like dragonflies, if startled they will often fly back to the same perch. Once you begin to understand their behaviour, insect and other nature photography can be much more rewarding. These shots were taken earlier last month. We are having an extremely hot dry summer and it seems to be having an impact on wildlife. Insect and bird activity has slowed in the last while. There are still plenty of subjects to photograph, it just takes a bit longer to find them.
These photographs were taken on different days, in different locations; the first in a wildlife garden with my macro lens and the second close to the water’s edge with my 70-200mm. The first shot required very little cropping, the second a bit more. Most everyone loves sunflowers, they just feel like summer but I find the macro shot has a slight edge to it, perhaps because of its starkness. Not just another pretty face.
I’m learning that it can be easier to take photographs of insects than to identify them! After looking through two insect guides I believe these insects are either soldier or flower beetles but then again who knows?! (If anyone can tell me I’d certainly appreciate it.) I took these shots at a nearby wildlife garden that we had visited the week before. The vegetation that grows here is beautiful on its own but it also attracts a good number of insects. In addition to butterflies and milkweed beetles, I came across these beetles. The hot weather makes them run around like crazy and the temperature that day was soaring. It’s difficult to get such small moving objects in focus and I was pleased with the results.
A fellow photographer alerted us to this black-crowned night heron he had discovered in a tree off the water. It was nearing the end of the day and a whistle caught our attention. We couldn’t see what was making the sound until I looked towards the water and saw a man waving his arms. As we approached he pointed upwards and we saw the heron. We couldn’t have been more than 15 feet from it. I don’t know if the heron saw us but it continued to preen and we took multiple shots. It was a wonderful end to our walk thanks to the friendly stranger who generously shared his find with us.
With all the summertime visitors to our area we tend to forget the true denizens of the forest. Although there are a few species of birds that remain year round, you don’t need to go far to spot a squirrel in any season. We haven’t seen any raptors in the reserve this summer (the largest bird we’ve spotted is one lonely turkey) so the squirrels are running free. I took this shot in low light so I raised the ISO but the speed never got above 1/40sec. Exposure and shadow adjustments in Lightroom and noise reduction software in Macphun made the photo come to life.
The wildlife garden I visit has tremendous stands of coneflowers, which are usually paired with bumblebees. Yesterday was no exception. I followed this bumble bee as it moved from flower to flower, collecting pollen grains. The flower in the first photo is in better condition than in the second so I cropped minimally to show it off. (It’s more about the flower than the bee.) I took both shots with my 105mm, flash and soft box at F14, 1/250sec, ISO100.
I came across these painted turtles basking in the the warm July sun. It was one of those perfect mornings when the temperature was just right and the mood nice and relaxed. Sometimes turtles can be easily scared off when they sense your presence but not that day. They were nicely lined up and the water lilies provides an additional note of interest to the scene.
I have featured this grackle before. The last time he appeared on my blog he was taking a bath. Once he had finished splashing around he flew into a nearby tree and began drying himself off. I continued taking pictures until he finally flew away. I take shots of these birds whenever I can. They are alert, deliberate, intelligent and uncommonly good looking!
When I started doing nature photography I tended to focus mainly on birds and insects. This summer I decided I wanted to take more wild flower shots and capture their beauty as well. The first two photographs were taken with my 105mm macro lens using a flash and soft box. This lens lets me get nice and close to my subject, the flash helps to freeze motion and provide some light fill and the soft box softens the light. The third photo was taken with my telephoto lens. I began by cropping the photo but decided that the background added interest and depth to the photo and modified my crop considerably. I made a few adjustments to the highlights and exposure to make the central flower more vibrant.
On a hot day last week I took cover in the shade and saw this wood duck family close to shore. The light was perfect and each duck stood out sharply. The chicks looked relaxed, the adult on alert. The young were born sometime in June. They learn to fly at about seven weeks, until then they stick close to their mother.
A long title for a tiny subject. I’d stepped out today hoping to photograph some wildflowers. I spotted a slew of these daisies and as I lifted my camera to my eye I noticed this tiny fly on the edge of the petal. The subject of the photo quickly changed from flower to insect. I snapped away hoping the fly would turn towards me. That didn’t happen but I did manage to catch the reflection on its wing. A pretty good outcome I’d say.
The Canada Goose gets mixed reviews: they can be messy, noisy, territorial and damage crops (not one of our most popular exports!). There are times though when I appreciate the Canada Goose and this is one of those times. The bird had just taken a drink when it seemed to pause and stare at it’s reflection. I took this photo in early October when the trees were beginning to change colour and caused the effect on the water that you see here.
When I saw this solitary wood duck looking out on the lake, she reminded me of a Mom waiting for her kids to come home. The ducklings in the second photo weren’t actually hers and were a bit young to be swimming around unsupervised (their mother was just out of view). So in the end I guess the first duck was just having a look around.
Sometimes nature saves the best for last. After a couple of hours of wandering around on a hot muggy morning with nothing much to show for it we came across this heron. It had its back to us at first but slowly turned sideways concentrating on the water. The lake is full of small catfish and he waited patiently for one to swim by. We were happy to be standing in the shade and waited along with him. Before too long he caught one and I walked away the first decent shots of the day.
As the summer wears on the variety of dragonflies increases. On hot summer days the birds might be scarce but the insect world is in high gear and there is no end of colourful subjects to take. This dragonfly landed in the open and was well lit, I couldn’t ask for more! I spent some time trying to identify it without any luck. If anyone knows what it is I’d love to hear from you.
It’s been a good year for wood ducks at our local reserve. This female is leading a good sized brood around the lake. Wood ducks have up to 11 eggs per clutch and as there are more than 11 ducklings in this picture (a few are hidden behind the adult) she might be minding another’s young or her nest could have been occupied by another duck’s eggs, a result of egg-dumping. The chicks stick very close at first, a good thing too because they are very vulnerable to turtles and other predators.
One of the wonderful things about wild flowers is that they will take root wherever there’s a bit of soil. You can spot them growing in laneways, along the sides of highways and country roads, and forests of course. Their colour and scent add beauty to the landscape and their pollen attracts insects, another benefit. The flowers here are quite different. I was struck by their unique shape and colour; the vibrant yellow of the Salsify and the more muted colours of the others.
I was standing on a platform with a group of other photographers trying to take photos of a heron that was just out of my lens’ range. As I was having no success with the heron I looked about to find something else of interest. The painted turtle in these photos was swimming around a few feet below me and kept raising his head above water. As I didn’t have a polarizing filter on my lens the water looks a bit murky but I don’t think it detracts from the final result.
I came across this well-fed rabbit as it grazed along the footpath. It didn’t follow typical rabbit behaviour when startled by people – it didn’t freeze or bolt. It just continued feeding and then stopped and looked at us (we were never further than seven to eight feet away). We figured it must have been a young rabbit and had not learned to fear people or predators yet. This reserve has a fair number of hawks and other raptors, I hope it learns that lesson soon!
* After some useful information from a fellow blogger, I no longer believe this rabbit is a cottontail (see my exchange with Eliza Waters in comments)
There are many varieties of skippers. The least skipper is the smallest of Ontario’s butterflies (17-26mm or approx. 1 inch). I spotted this butterfly among some wild flowers that bordered a suburban bike path. It’s a pleasant area to walk as the city has let the natural setting flourish beside a pedestrian and cycling route. I took my 105mm macro lens with me that day hoping to get an opportunity for some insect shots. I was happy I did.
It’s always nice to capture these insects on an interesting plant or giving you the eye, something I think I did in both of these shots. I was carrying my long lens that day, hoping to photograph some birds but saw these willing posers instead. Just like new plant life that seems to crop up daily, every few days I see different kinds of dragonflies and damselflies. I think they’re beautiful subjects so I’ll be featuring more of them over the course of the summer.
A few posts back I featured a grackle taking a bath at the same spot in the river. Once it had left the shallows this robin took its turn. Other than cooling them off, it seems that a bath keeps a bird’s feathers in good shape and makes them more agile in flight. The robin’s exuberance was very appealing and it remained long enough for me to take these shots. I wonder who is going to show up here next?
Butterflies can be a particular challenge to photograph but this comma was an exception. I took this shot on a cool day in May so the butterfly moved more slowly than it would when the weather is warmer. It remained in this pose long enough for me to take several shots. The natural light was ideal and shows off its iridescent colouring. The season for butterflies is short in Eastern Ontario, so I don’t miss an opportunity to photograph them. I was using my 200mm lens that day; sometimes having a bit more distance between you and your subject works to your advantage.
Wood ducks return to our region in late March and remain until the first severe frost. This photograph was taken in early May and the ducks are in their finest breeding colours. Along with american wigeons, wood ducks are among the most colourful ducks in this part of Canada. We haven’t seen many broods this spring and we’re hoping that things are just a bit slow. Wood ducks build their nests in the cavities of trees, which explains their name. The other day we saw a female fly into a nesting hole in the same tree that was also occupied by a pileated woodpecker’s nest! If the duck is sitting on a nest we should be seeing her young anytime now.
I always check for painted turtles swimming along the shoreline or sunning themselves on the fallen logs. As their name suggests they have colourful markings and are the smallest turtle species at this reserve. The snapping turtle and blanding’s turtle (both of which I’ve featured in earlier blog posts) are larger. We’re looking forward to seeing some hatchlings, it shouldn’t be too long now!
This little squirrel was aware of my presence but he wasn’t going to abandon his snack and run away. I guess he hoped that if he stood very still I wouldn’t notice him. Not a chance of that as the lighting was perfect and he stood out so sharply against the green of the grass. I took a couple of shots and left him to his snack.
Every March as the snow melts, the Ottawa River overflows its banks making the walk to the river’s edge impossible. As there had been so little rain this past spring we thought it likely that the water had receded. As it had we followed the path to the edge of the river and found this grackle in the shallows. The bird was totally engaged in his bath and even though we were standing within feet of it, I was able to take this series of shots. I’m not sure who was having more fun, the bird or us!
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 