I saw two robins recently when the weather was a bit nicer. It’s been a stormy weekend. Hopefully, that’s it for the snow and ice and scenes like this are around the corner.
Tag Archives: Landscape
Queen Anne’s Lace
A simple wildflower can really shine in the right light.
Setting up House
On a recent walk, several house sparrows flew past me and landed in a nearby yard. This one had a mouthful of fluff that I imagine was going to be used in nest building.
Early Heron
I took this photo at the beginning of April a few years ago. The water had begun to thaw so I imagine he found something to eat. I had never seen a heron return this early before or since; usually they wait until the ice has melted and the locals come out.
Soft Power
Fleabane daisies symbolize a kind of innocence as well as being tough and resilient.
It’s not quite daisy weather yet, but the temperature rose to 9C today and I saw a few people wearing shorts 🇨🇦 !
Coming Attractions – 2
It won’t be too long before the Scilla push their way through the dried leaves and brighten the landscape.
Black-capped Chickadee
Usually black-capped chickadees don’t stay in one place for long. I’ll raise my camera just to miss them as they fly to another tree, I was more fortunate with this bird, it stayed put long enough for me to get the shot, Another year round bird here.
Cute as a Bug…
At least I think milkweed beetles are 😊.
Waiting in the Wings
It’s snowing (again) but before too long spring’s turn will come. Here’s a preview of coming attractions…
MONDAY MALLARD
Regular readers will have noticed that it’s been a few weeks since my last post. I was out of town for a while and then picked up a nasty bug (yes, Covid is still very much out there). I’m on the mend now and what better evidence than to feature one of my favourite ducks 😊
A Hint of Spring
I’ve been enjoying the photos of Snowdrops some bloggers have been posting recently. It will be some time before they appear here along with these wild violets that we see in spring. As we slog through February I needed a bit of colour.
Forest Floor
It looked like someone had called a meeting but few showed up 😏 . I think fungi and mushrooms make interesting subjects but they were pretty scarce last year. I’ll keep my eye peeled as things warm up around here.
Buddy Swim – 2
A sight I love at the end of the day😊
Groundhog Day
This is the only time I’ve seen a groundhog emege from its burrow. Although I’ve posted the photo before, I thought it was a timely encore.
Barred Owl
We see barred owls year round in our woods. I was hoping the owl would open its eyes wider but he was content to doze and I was happy just to have seen him.
Feisty
We see red squirrels quite often in the woods usually giving chase to the larger eastern gray squirrels.
Summer Sparrow
Another little bird that is often overlooked. It was nice to see her perched on some long grass.
Junior
I do appreciate these birds as individuals, not as much in flocks when they can be aggressive and messy 😏. This immature ring-billed gull made a nice subject.
Hummingbird Moth
Hummingbird Moths are spectacular looking insects and good pollinators. I don’t see them every summer so when I do spot one hovering by a flower it’s pretty exciting.
Downy Woodpecker in Winter
There’s still a meal to be found for woodpeckers under tree bark though bird feeders must be an easier alternative for them this time of year.
A Look Back
I spend a good deal of the winter looking forward to spring; on a day like this particularly, when the temperature is in the -20s C, though the sun is shining. A look back here at more pleasant times 😊
Buddy Swim
I took this photo before the water began to freeze though it was still pretty brisk.
Lesser Scaups
I had several opportunities to photograph these beautiful ducks last year. We kept returning to the same area over several days and there they were. I guess they’re being enjoyed right now by those living in more hospitable climates. 😏
DOWNY WOODPECKER
A downy woodpecker going about his business.
Cheers
Here’s hoping for calm waters in 2025. Happy New Year!
REWIND – 2
The days are sunny and cold right now, here’s a bit of warmth to add to the mix.
Night Owl
As owls are nocturnal, when I see them during the day they often look half asleep. The eastern screech owl is tiny and blends into its surroundings so well that you have to be pretty lucky to spot one.
LATE FALL – 3
This small lake attracts a lot of ducks; even in winter we see a few mallards. They are hardy. The wood ducks have left now but I did catch this one as it took a last solitary swim.
Downy Woodpecker
I haven’t seen many downy woodpeckers this year but I did see this one in the spring. I really like these little birds, our smallest woodpecker.
Wistful
While looking for a photo to post, I came across this flower I took last spring. A sweet memory 😔.
LATE FALL – 2
A few more migrants passing through, I’ve only seen ring-billed ducks a few times and always as it gets colder.
Late Fall
One last swim at the lake. The waterfowl usually remain until the lakes and rivers begin to freeze.
Eastern Phoebe
These flycatchers are one of my favourite songbirds. I look forward to their return next spring.
A Different View
We’re under a winter weather advisory (10 cms/4 inches is forecast). Luckily, I don’t have to be anywhere today and can watch the snow fall and swirl around from my window. When I was a kid the schools stayed open even with considerable snow. The snowfall would have to approach 25 cms/10 inches before we had a snow day. We could count on several each winter growing up.
I thought the daylily I took this summer would provide something else to look at 😏
In the Reeds
The red-winged blackbird had found a good perch and and finally moved its head long enough to give me a clear shot.
Canada Geese
From early spring to late fall I watch Canada Geese a lot 😊. I think they’re beautiful birds and when not acting up or messing up they make great subjects to photograph.
American Black Duck
Happily, some of these ducks remain during the colder months.
Dog Days
Along the river parkway there’s a landing for canoes, kayaks (and dogs) to enter the water easily. On our walks I always hope to come across a scene like this.
Touching Down
We’ve had a lot of mild weather this November and there are still some Canada Geese around. I caught this one as it was landing.
Colour and Light
We were treated to a long and colourful fall. This particular display had the perfect balance of colour and light, reminding me of a stained glass window.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 