Groundhogs are true hibernators and usually hibernation begins in late October and lasts through March. We’ve had up and down temperatures and the grass is still nice and green so maybe the locals will delay their long winter nap for a while.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE DUCK
I featured a female mallard on my blog yesterday. The male mallard has a guest spot today. One of my favourite ducks for their spirit and good looks. 😊
MID-WEEK MALLARD
I saw a lot of ducks swimming along the lake the day I was there. This female mallard was on her own and very close to shore. I liked her pose and took the shot.
CANADA GEESE IN FALL
Canada Geese are on the move. We see and hear them overhead flying in V formations. With the weather getting colder it won’t be long before scenes like this will be over for the year.
Wigeon in Fall
I caught sight of this American Wigeon through a break in the trees. My only sighting this year. It must have been resting up on its migration south.
Fall Wood Duck
The reflections this time of year are spectacular, the wood duck is icing on the cake 😊
DIFFERENT FACES OF FALL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
As the season moves along you have to give your surroundings a closer look but there’s still plenty of beauty about.
SEEN ON A WALK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
One of several entrances to The East Memorial Building, a federal government office building, with federal heritage status, in Ottawa, Canada. Its construction began in 1950, and it is an example of Classical-Moderne design. Like many of the older federal buildings, it has a wonderful bas-relief over the doorway.
REFLECTIONS
I see the occasional duck on this pond. Today though, the mallard was secondary.
Early Fall
Not too far from the centre of the city is this wonderful reserve that I visit often. As the birds get ready for their fall migration they often stop here before they fly south. They seem to like this old tree too; every time I visit I’m happy to see that it’s still standing. A pleasant place for all before the real cold sets in.
Splendid Isolation
Someone on the path pointed to the duck and asked me if I knew what kind it was. I couldn’t give her an answer but I liked how it sat a distance from shore absorbing the late summer sunshine.
WOOD DUCK
I had taken a photo of this same wood duck napping, back in August, I took this a few minutes later once she had woken up.
PLANT POWER
It is remarkable to see a vine thrive and make its way up and over a concrete retaining wall that can hold back flood waters.
Goofy Goose
Canada Geese are usually elegant in flight. I took this quite a while ago but I believe he was coming in for a landing, a rather awkward one 😏.
Friday Favourite
We have several varieties of squirrels but red squirrels are my favourite. As cute as they look they’re not afraid to take on the bigger squirrels and chase them away from potential food sources.
SWALLOWTAIL
It’s been cool and grey out, so I thought a swallowtail on a coneflower would brighten the mood.
SUMMER’S END -2 (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took these photos on a recent walk. As the days get cooler I linger a little longer and look a bit more closely at my surroundings.
SNOW BIRDS
The Canada Geese are certainly on the move. They begin their migration in September and most will have headed south by next month.
RABBIT RUN
As I was walking along the sidewalk I saw this rabbit bounding across a lawn. I was using a wide angle lens so I had to crop in quite a bit but I think catching it mid hop made the shot!
NOT ALL STING
The wasp found some goldenrod in bloom, most has faded by now. Despite their nasty sting, they are important pollinators and help keep the insect population down. Still though, I’m glad the goldenrod had its full attention.😏.
OLD RELIABLE
I’ve seen this old Dodge truck a few times now. It’s usually pulled up to a house that’s undergoing renovations; full of building material. Its owner must have been running late that morning as it was parked with its back wheel on the sidewalk.
Summer’s End
At the end of summer the flowers in the fields are looking pretty spent, but there are some like this salsify that aren’t going quietly.
ANIMAL CRACKERS
If the gull could read I wonder if he’d agree? This park is a favourite with picnickers. The gulls must have a ball!
The Heron’s Court
The gulls were there first and then the Heron landed close by. It was as though they were expecting him 😏
ALONG THE PATH
The leaf almost seemed suspended in mid-air. It was only when I got closer that I saw it had been caught in the spider’s web along with an unfortunate insect. Another mini drama playing out right under my nose.
IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
I like wooden fences, they provide some privacy but in a pleasant sort of way. I thought the vine and its shadow dressed it up just a bit more.
The Usual Line Up
There are a lot of geese and gulls on the river right now. They seem to tolerate each other quite well.
Late Bloomer
Despite their name, New England Asters are native to many Canadian provinces. We see them from mid-August through October. These were at the edge of a pond in good company.
WHERE YOU LEAD
Everyone seemed to be enjoying a fine morning in the park 😊
TEST FLIGHT
Although the Canada Geese have not begun to migrate south we’re seeing them flying overhead a lot more lately. There’s still plenty for them to eat so they’ll be here for a while yet.
Late Summer Reflections
As I mentioned in a recent post, there’s still a lot of greenery about. I was pleased to catch this scene on a recent walk.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
I had wondered how sneezeweed, this attractive wildflower got its common name. Indigenous people and early settlers ground it up for medicinal use as well as to make snuff, It certainly brightens up the landscape in late summer and has never once made me sneeze 😏
A SLIGHT SHIFT – 3
Fall is certainly putting in an appearance. There’s still a lot of green about but the curtain is drawing on summer.
SUNDAY SQUIRREL
The red squirrel was sorting through the seeds under a feeder. Another animal I haven’t seen much of this summer.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
We visited a local wildlife garden recently and saw more that morning than we had in several recent visits. Among the sightings was this American Goldfinch. He was moulting now that breeding season is over and will soon migrate further south.
Japanese Beetle
The Japanese Beetle has no natural predators in North America so it’s very destructive to a large variety of plants. They are attractive though and I enjoyed watching this one lounge on some spotted jewelweed.
CAT AND MICE
This person’s yard was a tangle of vines, flowers and imaginative artwork.
SUNNY TUESDAY
Sunflowers always have a nice long run. Some are beginning to fade but this bunch is still looking bright.
No Time to Waste
It’s nice to see the bees still gathering pollen in early September. Many flowers look like they’ve been picked over by now but it seems they still have a little more to give.
HAPPY GO LUCKY
At least it looks that way to me 😊
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 