
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.

This was taken in a garden of an old house in the neighbourhood. The garden is left to itself and it’s thriving. It begins the season with a few tulips, then on to lilacs, lilies of the valley and later in the summer, tiger lilies. There are plenty of wild flowers too including these Dame’s-Rockets. A neighbourhood favourite for bees as well.


On this side of the reserve the river runs quickly. Threats to these mallard ducklings are fewer; the snapping turtles remain on the lake opposite and fewer hawks patrol the area. I came upon this family group on the river’s edge, two years ago. I hope to see similar scenes before too long.


This was a first for me and the only time I’ve ever seen a brown creeper, so it was pretty exciting. Their numbers are declining in the eastern part of North America, due to habitat loss, so I was particularly happy to see one. It’s called a brown creeper but I thought it looked more like it was hugging the tree as it foraged for insects.


Canada Geese may have their detractors but on a lake in the fall they are among my favourite subjects. They’ve had their young and territory is no longer an issue so scenes like this are common. Ottawa is a city that includes a lot of rural land, so you don’t have to go too far to see them flying in their wonderful V formations (or echelons) as they head south.
