I believe this bird is a sparrow but I can’t say for sure. For the past month or so we’ve been visiting a wildlife garden as our favourite reserve is still closed after a recent storm. The garden attracts many smaller birds and I was pleased to capture this bird balancing on a twig in the water.
There were a number of sparrows flying in and out of the pine trees just out of range of my lens. This one, on the other hand, perched close by just off the ground. It remained there for quite a while unlike the other sparrows who kept on the move. I believe it is a female White-throated Sparrow.
This giant inflatable jellyfish is suspended inside a glass lantern in the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, a spectacular looking building in the Gothic Revival style. The museum completed in 1912 has undergone several renovations, the latest between 2004-2010.
The contrasting architectural styles and this extraordinary creature made for an interesting afternoon and the black and white version adds a bit more drama to the photograph.
Wildflowers are fading and no longer quite perfect. I think I might just prefer them now, their colours more muted and their edges not as sharp. The first photo is soft focus and it was the field rather than a particular flower that I chose to capture. The Queen Anne’s Lace has a beautiful woven pattern which is what I focussed on in the second.
Our favourite reserve was damaged in a destructive windstorm storm last week and is closed to the public for the foreseeable future. We’ll miss the beauty of the place and the animals that call it home. In the meantime we’ve been exploring new trails and spotted this white-throated sparrow along one of them.
Mallards are favourite subjects of mine, they’re numerous and very photogenic so I get a lot of opportunities to photograph them. As other birds depart for warmer climates, many mallards brave our winters and I should get more shots of them as the weather changes.
This photo is the exterior of a popular butcher shop in my neighbourhood. The colour version is vibrant, however I think the detail of the structure is more distinct and engaging in black and white. It’s an interesting experience to work a photo in both colour and black and white. MacPhun Tonality CK was used to create the monochrome version you see here.
These female wood ducks were taking a break from the group, pausing on fallen tree trunks just off shore. Wood ducks are less boisterous than the more common mallards and though striking in appearance remain quite quiet as you pass by. As the season progresses they seem to be less shy and will often remain still long enough for me to take a lot of photos.
As we veered off the main path at the reserve we were treated to a slew of painted ladies. They were flying in great numbers and I kept my camera trained on a few as they lingered on the clover. These were taken with my 70-200mm lens and I took well over 100 photographs. More to come…
There are some interesting laneways in the downtown that make for interesting walks in the summertime. Gardens spring up on balconies and even wild flowers push through the pavement. These two gatekeepers kept a watchful eye on me as I made my way down the lane.
There’s a fallen tree at the entrance to the reserve that is a favourite hangout for the local ducks. This male wood duck seemed to have taken possession of it when I saw him. I’m not sure if he was moulting or immature as he wasn’t in full colour, but a handsome fellow by all accounts.
I liked this small piece of street art I came across on a recent drive in the countryside. We had stopped for a coffee in a small town and as we walked around this caught my eye. The artist’s humour struck a chord (I’m not known for my great sense of direction either.)
It’s rare to see anything other than sparrows, pigeons and the occasional robin in the downtown core so it was especially nice to see this solitary female Downy Woodpecker excavating the tree. As I walked away I hoped she’d find her way back to her mates but she did provide a welcome bit of nature on this city block.
Not only attractive little insects, hoverflies also serve a useful purpose. They are pollinators, their larvae prey on aphids and other plant destroying insects. Their appearance wards off predators as they mimic wasps and bees and yet they are generally harmless. They pack a powerful punch in a tiny package!
In late summer wildflowers begin to show some wear but collectively their colours paint a wonderful palette, they don’t go quietly into fall! These flowers were growing in great bunches along the roadside and we stopped a while to enjoy them.
In November last year the fall leaves were gone but the lichen on the trees added a nice touch of colour. The chickadee was taking a short break from foraging and I snapped this photograph.
I liked the pattern the mallard formed in the water and the duck’s intensity at it steamed forward. There might be more exotic birds that visit the Ottawa area but nothing matches the mallard for its exuberance and personality.
For the last few springs we’ve seen solitary screech owls in the reserve we visit. We’ll spot one in a tree hollow or on a nearby branch. As much as we checked this year none were about on our walks so I’m featuring an owl from 2016. The owls seem to favour the deep woods, and the leaves create quite a colour cast which I corrected in Lightroom using White Balance.
This was one of those quiet days at the reserve, a pleasant walk but nothing much about. As we headed back to the car we saw some people nearby and someone pointed out a green heron at the water’s edge. The path was narrow, the light poor and trying to maneuver around branches and people was a challenge. The bird was backlit and there was a colour cast. I corrected the lighting in Lightroom and used Photoshop to correct the colour cast.
This black-crowned night heron is in mating plumage, sporting two long white plumes. Both sexes look alike (at least to me) but I believe this is a male given its larger size.
He was surveying the water when I spotted him but I moved on before I saw him catch anything.
I always associate painted turtles with lazy summer afternoons. They are either basking in the sun or going for a quiet swim. You feel yourself slowing down in their company. No better way than that to enjoy summer!
I took this photograph last August. We haven’t had as many opportunities to visit our favourite reserve this summer and the birds are keeping themselves scarce when we do go. Last year was a good year so old friends are putting in an appearance.
At the reserve we go to most often, mallards are well represented. They are very sociable, and always available for a photograph. I find them the most amusing of ducks, in this case the duck looks like its been up to something, or maybe it’s just me.
The birds are keeping themselves scarce right now but there is no shortage of insects or flowers to photograph. I look forward to when the chicory puts in an appearance, almost as much as this hover fly.
This hover fly flew into the frame just as I was composing my photograph, a nice addition to the shot. On these brilliant summer days I enjoy walking along the meadows’ edges with the the riot of colour and buzzing of insects laid out for the taking.
This little bee was a cooperative subject as he took his time gathering pollen. There weren’t many other bees around so he had his pick of the sunflowers. Summer time and the living is easy.
The first Egret shot was taken last summer, the bird was on the lookout for lunch. I took the second photo last fall, it appears the egret found the vine a tasty snack. I usually like to have a variety of subjects on my blog. This year my schedule and the birds putting in an appearance haven’t always coincided. Luckily as I have a good number of bird photographs that have yet to appear on my blog I’ll be featuring some from time to time.
I do like poppies and was happy to see them among the other flowers in the field. They have a colour and delicacy that always attracts the eye. I decided against a tight crop and chose to show them as an element of the whole.
I rarely carry more than the lens on my camera when I set out to do some photography, so I pretty much have an idea of what I’d like to photograph. On this particular day I had my 105mm and was looking for flower and insect subjects. I wasn’t disappointed by these red milkweed beetles.
With all the greyness and rain we’ve had it would be easy to think that summer forgot to arrive this year. So when the sun does shine everyone comes out to enjoy it. I spotted these ladybugs while on a walk in my neighbourhood. We don’t see too many insects in the city centre so I was feeling pretty lucky that afternoon.
I came across this wood duck chick as it was about to slip into the water. It reminded me of a child building up it’s courage to jump into the deep end of a pool. The duckling seemed to wear a triumphant expression when he finally did.
I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to get out with my camera and this will be the case for a while yet. The other day however, while out in the neighbourhood with a macro lens on my camera, I stopped beside a hedge and had a look around. I spotted some ladybugs (for a future post) and this little fly. When I got home and viewed the insect on my computer, I was delighted to see it was blowing a bubble. A perfect macro moment!
This yellow wildflower in a field of green embodies summer to me. It grew on its own with no competition for my attention. The second flower was in a garden hedge. It had just rained, a constant this summer, and it stood out nicely against the green.
This bird is one of my favourites. A frequent visitor to my blog, the nuthatch’s alert and friendly manner makes for a great subject. I thought the background colour did a nice job of framing the bird.
Like many herons, the Black-crowned night heron can stalk its prey for longer than I have the patience to watch. With a catch or not they make for excellent subjects, as they stand so still allowing me to take many photographs. This spot on the lake is always a popular fishing spot, and the lighting always adds interest to the scene.
Two different wildflowers that I really like. The first photo is of pink trilliums. They are less common than the white variety but they tend to grow in bunches which more than makes up for their scarcity. The second photograph is of bladder campions, considered a weed in North America but not to this photographer!
Although it’s still spring, the temperature has been in the low 30Cs the last few days. The birds and their offspring are scarce but the wildflowers and insects are everywhere you look at the reserve. My first bee and flower photograph of the season, always a cheerful combination!
I haven’t been out as often as I’d like with my camera but seeing and photographing this beauty, made up for some missed opportunities. Trilliums are the official flower of Ontario yet I never come across them in great numbers. Their growing period is a short one, this trillium looked like it was celebrating the season.
Taking a walk downtown on a rare sunny afternoon in May, I hoped to see some things of interest to photograph. I had borrowed a wide angle lens (12-24mm) and was trying to get a feel for it. The sharp lines and colour attracted me in both of these photographs.
Canada will be celebrating its 150th Birthday on July 1. There is a multi-year plan to renovate many Federal buildings in Ottawa. You can just see some scaffolding in the reflection of the Parliament Buildings in the first photo. The fencing covered in colourful posters dressed up another construction site and made for an interesting composition.
All the familiar favourites are returning to the reserve. We’ve had a few sightings of Black-crowned Night Herons; never two at once, so I’m no sure if there’s one individual or more. We came across this one in a quiet cove. We watched as he starred at the water never shifting his gaze. He caught a fish so quickly that I missed the shot and only caught him with his back to me as he flew off with a large catfish dangling from his mouth.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 