Ring-billed gulls are very intense looking birds.
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OPEN AIR GALLERY
We are lucky to have a lot of public art on our city streets. It’s nice to slow down for a few minutes and take it all in.
WHAT’S THE RUSH?
The goose had somewhere to be. 😏
YELLOW AND GREEN
Quite the change from our current snowy landscape.
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
Although some mallards remain here all winter, I’ve never seen a black duck in their company. Like most waterfowl, they fly further south before the real cold sets in.
PLAY OF LIGHT
I walk by this spot frequently but on this particular day the light and shadow were just right. I thought the result looked like an etching.
RING-BILLED ROUNDUP
I enjoy seeing ring-billed gulls on the water, although we often see them in city parking lots and public parks scavenging for food. I liked this photogenic group; note the mottled bird on the left, it’s a juvenile. These gulls take three years to reach full maturity.
SEEN ON A WALK
These items looked like they had been placed with care although they were left there for garbage pick up. A well used sofa, a child’s toy even the plant growing out of the concrete made for a homey scene despite its location.
Planning Ahead
The groundhog was fattening up for his long winter sleep. In our climate they will hibernate in their burrows from October through March or April. We’re under a winter storm watch today, so I think they have the right idea. 😏
CHANGING TIMES
It seems that few parts of town have escaped gentrification. Many of these older neighbourhoods are giving way to infills and condominiums. There is still a lot of the original character but I wonder for how long.
SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO
Luckily, the sparrow decided to stay put for a few minutes!
Lake View – 2
It was a good year for wood ducks. This young male was one of many I enjoyed seeing this summer.
WEBNESDAY
I was disappointed with the detail in the orb spider but I think its web and the background colours compensated for it.
Lake View
I often see waterbirds in the shade of this wonderful tree. I always pause here for a while and take it all in. It’s one of my favourite places.
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
I was looking across the lake and happened to glance down from the platform and saw the wood ducks resting on a log. Not an angle I favour but it did show them off quite nicely.
COOL ROBIN
We associate robins with springtime. Yet, if they can find enough berries to eat a few remain all winter.
IT’S COLD OUTSIDE
The shoes were lined up neatly perhaps for anyone who needed them. It is getting cold outside.
CLEVER CAT
Walking through the local arboretum we heard rustling in the underbrush. After a few minutes a large cat appeared. It sat and looked around and wasn’t in a hurry to leave. It didn’t have a collar so we presumed it was wild and made its home here. Judging by its healthy appearance it knew how to fend for itself.
MARSH SCENE
We stop by this marsh every autumn and take in the beauty of the place; and if no birds appear it doesn’t really matter.
SOULFUL
The dog’s owner was working in his yard, his dog resting on a towel facing the sidewalk. I couldn’t resist taking a quick shot.
INTREPID DUCK
The duck seemed to know how to navigate the choppy water and I watched it as it moved with the waves.
VERY PARTICULAR
There were plenty of seeds in the feeder but they weren’t on this blue jay’s menu. 😏
FEMALE HOODED MERGANSER
I don’t see hooded mergansers very often and when I do they’re usually in the middle of the lake. Not this one though.
MINIMALISM
Seen on a walk .
SUNDAY SQUIRREL
Black squirrels are very common here. They are actually a melanistic subgroup of the eastern grey squirrel. Their black fur gives them a thermal advantage during our cold winters.
HANG ON
It’s cold and grey outside, so I thought a bit of summer was in order. I took the milkweed beetle in July; it’s going to be a long winter. 😏
GEESE AND FRIEND
We discovered this pond late in the season as did a number of waterbirds. This is one of many photos I took that day of geese and cormorants.
DUCK OUT OF WATER
There are plenty of logs at the lake for birds and turtles to climb onto when they want a break from swimming or just have a look around. I caught this young wood duck doing just that.
BRISK
When I was a kid you either inched your way into the freezing lake or dove in and got it over with. I think the goose fell into the latter camp. 😊
FADING FAST
It’s cold and grey outside (we had our first dusting of snow) but it definitely was sunny when I took this at the beginning of October. Quite a difference a month makes.
Wild Turkey
Wild Turkeys are not the prettiest of birds and can be quite aggressive during mating season. A local reserve closed its walking trails this past spring for several weeks when a trio of toms were harassing people. Conservation Officers had hoped to capture the birds and relocate them but they evaded capture. I took this photo at the same reserve in August, I kept a wary eye on this bird and waited for him to move along before I continued my walk.
HALLOWEEN COLOURS
The only thing nicer than one butterfly is seeing two on the same plant. I believe these are fritillaries… This was taken in early September.
YOUNG WOOD DUCK
I took this in early August at a local reserve. The young wood duck had recently emerged from the water with its siblings. The young are quite fearless but its mother was close by.
EASTERN CHIPMUNK
Chipmunks are getting ready for winter; gathering as much food as they can and preparing their dens for the cold months to come.
NATURE’S WAY
I like the way plants find a way to flourish just about anywhere!
CLOSE ENCOUNTER
I turned around and there she was. I would have liked a bit more space between me and the duck but you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. Wood ducks are still in our area, I hope for a few more photo opportunities before they fly south for the winter.
WELCOME COMMITTEE
There’s an old house in my neighbourhood that has several feeders out front. Sparrows, goldfinch and pigeons drop in often. The pigeons are quiet and don’t seem to leave any tell tale signs of their presence 😏. I couldn’t have asked for a more accommodating bird.
GOLDFINCH
On a cold wet day, a return to summer is in order. A goldfinch provides a needed bright spot.
MALLARD FRIDAY
I’ve read that male ducks will often puff themselves up to fend off predators or to attract potential mates. I think this one just had an itch. 😏
GREEN HERON FISHING
I saw the heron in a city park that borders the river. The bird was perched on the embankment of a man made lake. Not sure what if was hoping to catch.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 