I had taken a photograph of the entrance of an old row house. The picture was ok but it fell a bit flat. I had my spouse look at it and he suggested I concentrate on the brickwork and the ornament that was between the doorways. He was right, the rest was just window dressing. My fella’s got an eye, he’s been taking photos since he was a kid 😊 .
While looking for a photo to post, I came across this flower I took last spring. A sweet memory 😔.
A few more migrants passing through, I’ve only seen ring-billed ducks a few times and always as it gets colder.
One last swim at the lake. The waterfowl usually remain until the lakes and rivers begin to freeze.
I always stop to look in the window of this antique shop. There’s always something interesting on display.
This juvenile ring-billed gull was coming in for a landing. They take three years to reach maturity and acquire an adult’s white and grey feathers, yellow legs and bill with the distinctive black band. I like taking them in flight, good practice for the bigger birds 😊
These flycatchers are one of my favourite songbirds. I look forward to their return next spring.
Canada Geese were gathering like this as we moved into fall. Just before the recent snow, I saw two large formations of geese overhead. They made it out just in time.
We’re under a winter weather advisory (10 cms/4 inches is forecast). Luckily, I don’t have to be anywhere today and can watch the snow fall and swirl around from my window. When I was a kid the schools stayed open even with considerable snow. The snowfall would have to approach 25 cms/10 inches before we had a snow day. We could count on several each winter growing up.
I thought the daylily I took this summer would provide something else to look at 😏
I saw this mallard in October. I was taken with his red head feathers. It was an unusual sighting, a first for me.
The red-winged blackbird had found a good perch and and finally moved its head long enough to give me a clear shot.
Chipmunks don’t hibernate and with winter fast approaching they’re busy gathering food to build up their reserves. They seek shelter in underground dens and live a solitary existence. On warmer winter days you can see them out foraging.
From early spring to late fall I watch Canada Geese a lot 😊. I think they’re beautiful birds and when not acting up or messing up they make great subjects to photograph.
It’ll be several months before scenes like this will be common again. So in the meantime…
Happily, some of these ducks remain during the colder months.
I usually see these stocky birds in the reeds waiting patiently for a passing fish or frog. I rarely see one in flight. This heron blended in quite well to its surroundings except for those striking yellow feet.
Along the river parkway there’s a landing for canoes, kayaks (and dogs) to enter the water easily. On our walks I always hope to come across a scene like this.
On these cold cloudy days, I’ll be featuring some warmer scenes. I can almost hear the insects buzzing 😊
We’ve had a lot of mild weather this November and there are still some Canada Geese around. I caught this one as it was landing.
We were treated to a long and colourful fall. This particular display had the perfect balance of colour and light, reminding me of a stained glass window.
A Blue Jay sighting on a recent neighbourhood walk.
It’s nice to catch a mallard in a quiet moment, the fall reflections makes it even nicer.
Just two weeks ago, I saw this flower in a neighbour’s garden. Now the temperature struggles to get to +6 C during the day. No snow though 😏
I always find laneways interesting. You never know what you’ll come across which is part of the attraction.
This past summer we were treated to the appearance of lesser scaups. We only saw them twice but they provided a lot of photo opportunities. A new bird for me 😊
This frog and its mates have probably burrowed into the mud at the bottom of a lake and are preparing for the winter. Although with the temperature icy cold one day and warming up the next, I wonder how all animals that hibernate will survive. I know people don’t know what to make of this weather pattern…
A portion of the House of Commons, in Ottawa, is reflected in a government building opposite it. Its Gothic Revival style makes for some interesting cityscapes.
It was a nice surprise to see this flower blooming among the fallen leaves.
I took this photograph in a suburban park that borders the river. We usually see a few of the large herons on the river but I’ve never see one land in the pond before. And what a landing 😊.
Walking along, I often see people’s pets watch me walk by. The dogs often bark, the cats just stare 😏
It looked like a recent addition, yet the fence had already attracted the attention of a vine in nice autumn colours.
Among all the elaborate Halloween displays, it was nice to see this lively Chinese Lantern plant in the mix as well.
I hadn’t seen a Blue Jay in months and then on a recent city walk, one landed close by. We had just turned off a busy street into a laneway and he followed close behind.
If a duck could look wistful, I think this one did. 😊
Spiders are often associated with Halloween. In myth, spiders were believed to be the companions of witches, and linked to death, poison and things that go bump in the night. I happened to see this non-venomous orb spider on a fine sunny day. It didn’t pose a threat to me unlike the unfortunate insects in its web.
I look for these wildflowers in the same spot every year. They grow on either side of a small footbridge in a nature reserve. Taken last month when it still felt like summer 😏
All of the herons who migrate here in the spring have flown south by now but I thought it would be nice to look back to earlier in the season. I took this photo in May, The heron was sporting its breeding plumage including its white head plumes which were just visible in this shot.
There’s something appealing and welcoming about an older home blocks from the downtown.
It’s nice when you can position yourself at the level of your subject. The wood duck’s direct gaze was nice too.
You don’t have to go far to catch a glimpse of the changing landscape. I took these photos around the corner from where I live.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 