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 š.
BEECAUSE
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TWO GRASSHOPPERS
I havenāt 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. Thatās 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 theyāre out there.
GOLDFINCH IN FALL
I took this photo in October of last year. Iām 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 š.
OCTOBER WOOD DUCKS
I took this photo last October. I havenāt 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 š.
GENTLE FALL
This part of the trail is closely packed with undergrowth. The maple leafās 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 Iāve 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, Iāve 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 wasnāt at all bothered by our presence.
LATE FALL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We are very lucky to live in a climate where weāre 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 friendās garden. Itās 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 š.
METALLIC BEE
The metallic bee goes by several names, the least attractive being sweat bee which doesnāt 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 thereās 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 itās still summer here I know that scenes like this arenāt 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 friendās garden in mid-August. She told me its name which Iāve forgotten but I believe itās 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 theyāre 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. š
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 itās difficult to determine where they will resurface.
OWL AND THE CHICKADEE
The woods were quiet, no squirrels about. This usually means thereās 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 couldnāt decide.
FLOATING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I was looking at some Queen Anneās 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 hadnāt picked up in months. It was like finding something you had forgotten about in a coat pocket. The cooler days arenāt here yet but scenes like these are fast approaching.
UNDERCOVER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Itās 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 couldnāt put much distance between me and the duck. I would have liked more but you canāt really go wrong with a subject like this.
MY BAGS ARE PACKED
Yesterday was the first time Iāve 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. š
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 canāt 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 greenerā¦
PATTERNS IN NATURE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I liked the crisp green and white of the leaves. Though each leaf is distinctive, together they form an interesting whole. A bit of controlled chaos.
MUSKRAT
I havenāt returned to the reserve where this was taken at all this year. There are just too many people. In looking through my folders, I came upon this photo I took a few years ago. We usually see a few muskrats each summer and that year was no exception. They can be tricky subjects as their wet fur often reflects odd colours.
CANADA GOOSE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Canada Geese can be elegant in the water and a different bird on land where you have to approach them with care. They can be territorial during breeding season, with their young and after theyāve been feeding, you have to watch your step. On the water they can be quite different, languid and graceful.
