I took several photos of this Great Dane and featured another one in January. I think the dog was becoming a bit inpatient as it shifted position and was staring directly into the store window, willing its owner to return.
Raccoons are becoming more common in cities as their habitat shrinks and with it their sources of food. I saw this raccoon at a reserve one day. I watched as it moved silently through the water looking for something to eat. It kept an eye on me but carried on with its search.
Great Blue Herons migrate alone or in numbers and return here in early April. I saw this solitary heron on the water’s edge. With the water open it would find plenty to eat while it waited for its mates to arrive.
European Skipper Butterflies are seen in large numbers when the warm weather arrives. This skipper was resting and I was fortunate to see it in this pose.
The painted turtle is the most common turtle at our local reserve although they share the waterways with snapping turtles and the rarer blanding’s turtle. I’ll be looking for all three when the weather warms up.
Red squirrels are active all year round. When it gets very cold they retreat to dens in tree trunks but even so you often see them about if only briefly. They also depend on food that they have cached during the fall; frozen berries and buds.
With winter slowly moving along, I thought a warm weather scene was in order. I liked the untamed look of the sunflowers so I let them fill the frame and didn’t crop the shot.
The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America. They are non migratory; their main food source are the larvae and insects that live in the bark of trees. I love to see these striking birds in winter’s muted landscape.
This is a young snapping turtle, mature snapping turtles are much larger and even less good looking 😏. I was standing on a viewing platform and just happened to glance down when the turtle swam silently by.
The dog’s owner had run into a store and left his Great Dane in the car. The huge dog in the tiny car drew a lot of attention and I had to wonder how the owner managed to drive with him on board.
Very similar in appearance to the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy is distinguished by its larger size and bill length. Have to admire that fancy footwork too. 😊
I took this photo in late fall as the water was just beginning to freeze. Mallards tolerate the cold and quite a few remain in this location all year. We’re under an extreme cold warning tonight and while we add on the layers, I can’t helping wondering how the ducks will manage.
I took this photo in June a few years ago. The black-crowned night heron was in fine breeding plumage but it looked like he hadn’t quite finished grooming.
The cat in the window struck a regal pose, something they do so well. There are a lot of indoor cats in this downtown neighourhood. When the weather gets milder I’ll have to photograph more of them.
You’d think a duck’s feet would freeze standing on an icy pond. Unlike mammals, they regulate their bodies differently so that standing on an icy surface is almost like a walk in the park 😏
The goldfinch landed on the thistle just as I was winding up my walk. Before long it began to feed on the plants’ seeds. I took a lot of photos as the bird didn’t seem to mind my being there. More to come…