We hadn’t seen much on our walk but as often happens, we had better luck as we were heading back. I’ve only seen wood ducks once before this year so I was very happy to come across this female duck and one of her young.
Tag Archives: Landscape
GLOW
Walking through a public garden I spotted this flowering bush. Among all the plants, it attracted my attention. Its flowers reminded me of candle flames.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
The only sightings I’ve had this year of night herons have been in the same suburban park. He’s a handsome bird showing of his breeding plumage and those yellow feet 😊
IN THE WILD (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We had planned to go to a park by the river but there was an event going on so we went to a nearby trail instead. There weren’t many birds but there was a nice variety of wildflowers. The bladder campion, though not native to North America, has been naturalized and insects are attracted to its nectar.
THE PLACE WAS JUMPING
There must have been several bullfrogs in the pond, given the racket as we approached the water. I watched and waited as the frog inflated his throat. He was likely trying to call a mate or guard his territory.
CHIPMUNK CAPER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Where did I hide that nut?
Maybe it’s over here.
ALLSORTS
From the brilliant to the more subtle, each flower has its own beauty and uniqueness.
GOSLING
It’s fun to watch a gosling explore a bit on its own. The parent birds were close enough if it ran into trouble.
WILD FLOWERS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Buttercups and fleabane daisies are considered weeds but I prefer to call them wildflowers, Both of these photos were taken in the woods where they grow freely. The frothy substance on the stem of the buttercup is produced by immature spittlebugs, a definite concern for gardeners yet it appears on a variety of garden plants as well.
SEEN ON A WALK
The trees along this path are close to the river bank and almost touch the water. I was rewarded with these reflections on a recent walk.
DAMSELFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It’s always nice to see the first damselflies of spring.
I liked the leaves in this photo, the damselfly on the left was secondary.
Like Clockwork (Two Photographs)
Every year at this time, these wild rose bushes are covered in bees. We had taken a walk about two weeks ago to see how the flowers were developing but they were just beginning to bud. This past weekend we returned and were happy to see some bees gathering pollen.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
I didn’t see the heron catch anything but he was certainly trying.
Spring Update (Two Photographs)
It seems that every week, new flowers are appearing in gardens and woodlands. Not enough time to catch them all 😊
SPRING SAMPLER
I took this earlier in the Spring as the migrants were beginning to return. This little island was a perfect spot for the birds to have a look around,
WHAT THE GRACKLES SAW
I don’t know what the grackles were looking at but it sure grabbed their attention.
Spring Gold
There are new flowers in bloom everytime I look around. Today I noticed this iris beaming back at me.
KING OF THE HILL
Do you ever have the feeling you’re being watched 😏
A BOBBIN OF ROBINS
There are many collective nouns for robins. How nice that bobbin is one of them. It’s been a very good year for this bird as I’ve had many sightings.
PAINTED TURTLE
The temperature still dips at night and the daytime highs are struggling to reach 20Cs/68F but the sun is warm and the turtles have started to reappear. This painted turtle continues to wear a familiar grumpy expression too.
WILD FOR VIOLETS
Often considered a weed as it self seeds in lawns and gardens, the common blue violet is native to eastern North America. I look forward to them every spring.
Black-crowned Night Heron
This was my first sighting of a Black-crowned Night Heron this year, looking somewhat ruffled.The suburban park where I took this photo borders the river and attracts a lot of wildlife. I wonder what’s next 😊
BENEATH THE SEA
I saw this plant at a recent visit to a local wildlife garden. I thought it looked a bit like an aquatic plant. I haven’t been able to identify it.
MALLARD MAYHEM
Not sure what happened here, all was calm and then this 😏
ONE MORE BLACKBIRD
The Red-winged blackbird stood out against the dry grass. I had my choice of these birds to photograph on a recent walk.
FEMALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
I’ve seen more Red-winged blackbirds this spring than I have in many years. More males than females though, so I was pleased to see and hear this female.
SPRING MALLARD
Mallards are among my favourite ducks and I feature them frequently. More to come 😊
SPRING NOT FALL
I was surprised at the fall-like colours of these leaves, colours I associate with September not April (when I took this). A plant I’ve never seen before.
SPRING SCILLA
I like the way these flowers grow. They know exactly how to show off their colours.
EUROPEAN STARLING
Like many other migrants, starlings reappear in early spring. As attractive as they are, they are an invasive species in Canada, compete with native birds for food and can cause a lot of agricultural damage. I watched as this one and its mate tore across the grass.
SUNSHINE ON A CLOUDY DAY
There’s nothing like a sunflower to perk up the day.
SPRING FIRSTS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I’ve seen several robins recently but this time I had my camera with me.
Quackers
I saw my first Red-winged blackbird the other day, so did the mallard 😏
SPRING EXUBERANCE
After months of cold greys and whites, spring is showing off its colours.
SEEN ON A WALK – TWO PHOTOGRAPHS
The weather was truly spring-like last weekend. It’s wonderful to see crocus pushing up through last fall’s dried leaves.
RUFFLED FEATHERS
I’m not sure how the argument got started but it ended soon enough!
DAYDREAMING
An early spring snowstorm is forecast for tomorrow so I thought I’d do a bit of daydreaming .😏
Anticipation
Seeing a Red-winged Blackbird is a sure sign that spring has arrived. This photo was taken last year, around this date 😏.
TIPTOE
I enjoyed watching the young goose tentatively explore its environment.
BEE PATIENT
The calendar says spring but the temperature is struggling to reach double digits. No snow though so maybe we’ve turned a corner. 😏
