I caught a glimpse of the garden through the Porcupine Grass. An interesting plant tthat I’ve never noticed before. Too bad I didn’t see its namesake too😏
Tag Archives: Nature Photography
Squirrely Saturday
Walking along the path, I came across this squirrel starring in my direction. Maybe he was about to hide some food and I interrupted hm.
Bee’s Business
Globe thistles attract bees and other pollinators. The bee was so intent on its task that it never raised its head once for me 😏
Breaking the Rules
I didn’t crop the photo because I wanted to keep all of the background. No rule of thirds here although the flower isn’t quite centred. I only noticed the aphids on the flower’s stem when I imported the photo. A lot of aphids but no ladybugs 😏
Sunflower
A part of town has gardens full of sunflowers. I wanted to get there before the season was over. Many had begun to fade but this flower really stood out. I have never captured the disc of a sunflower at quite this angle before, it appeared almost three dimensional.
Ducks in a Row
This trio had been swimming behind their mother and must have decided to get a little rest before rejoining her. The adult stayed close, just out of the frame.
Buttercups
I love buttercups but they can be tricky to photograph with their glossy petals. I imagine a lot of you will remember the “chin game” we played as kids with buttercups!
Chipping Sparrow
Earlier in the month I posted photos of some Chipping Sparrows. I was lucky to get several shots, this one shows off its chestnut cap.
White and Gold
I really like Queen Annes’s Lace and feature it here throughout the summer. We’re entering the final leg of summer though when goldenroad begins to appear (the yellow flower in the background).
Razzle Dazzle -2
Another coneflower, I think I might have found my new favourite, the Sombrero Adobe Orange. Until this summer I wasn’t aware of this variety 😊.
Eastern Cottontail
I stopped to chat with a neighbour the other day and asked her if she had seen many bees in her garden. Not too many, she said but plenty of rabbits. On our walk today we came across this young cottontail who seemed to be enjoying the flowers. I wished it had turned in my direction but it still gave me some good photo opportunities.
Razzle Dazzle
It’s the time for coneflowers now, they really do dazzle.
Another Merganser
Last week I featured some female mergansers sunning themselves. The same day I took those photos, I saw a younger duck swimming further out (which is where I usually seem them). Mergansers are diving ducks that feed on small fish and crustaceans, I got several photos of her as she came to the surface.
Queen Anne’s Lace
Queen Anne’s Lace is one of my favourite wildflowers. We were walking beside a vacant lot that had hundreds of these flowers in different stages of development. Here are two examples.
Female Mergansers
This rock is a popular spot for ducks to sun themselves. On this day two mergansers had staked it out. As I usually spot them swimming out in the middle of the lake it was nice to see them close up.
Chipping Sparrows
I featured this chick and an adult chipping sparrow on a post a few days ago. Here are a few more photos.
Summer’s Palette
The fiery orange of the day lilies mirrors the current temperatures.
On the otherhand, cosmos are the lily’s cooler cousin.
Landing Pad
Chasing dragonflies can be difficult as they’re in constant motion. If you see one on a lily pad chances are you’ll get a few photos, as they break from leading you on a merry chase.
Young Wood Duck
We passed a wood duck and her young along the path. When I looked behind me about five young ducks seemed to be following me very closely for quite a distance. I was tempted to turn around and lead them back to their mother but in the end I didn’t have to as they decided to do that themselves. 😏
Chipping Sparrow
This is the first of several photos I took of a chipping sparrow. The star of the show is this very young bird who appears to be taking his first walk with Dad; actually he hopped 😊. You never know what you’ll see on a walk in the neighbourhood!
Day lily
Glancing down towards the water I saw this day-lily growing in the filtered light. Not native to North America, the flower has become naturalized and its their season right now.
American Goldfinch
I saw this female goldfinch peering around the thistle at me. I’ve seen them feed on this plant later in the season when its gone to seed. I’m not sure if there’s something for them rto eat ight now or if she was just taking a break.
Morning Shade
There were a lot of mallards settled under the trees as we walked along the path at our local reserve. We’re experiencing very high temperatures right now and shady spots are at a premium.
Summer Scene
In the warmth of the sun this field of wild flowers and grasses gave off the nicest scent. When I return next time, I hope to see a few insects.
Young Canada Goose
We decided to walk along the river in search of a breeze as the temperature continues to rise. Not much relief there but we did see some birds including this juvenile Canada Goose. He’s beginning to lose his down and acquire juvenile plumage. His parent wasn’t far behind; they remain with their parents for about a year.
Daisy, Daisy
Daisies are such cheerful looking flowers. I caught these swaying in the breeze.
In the Reeds
I saw this plant growing by the shoreline of the pond; I believe its bur-reed, related to cattails and bulrushes. I liked its interesting appearance and so did the damselflies that were landing nearby.
Summer Shift
Although we’re just one day into the official start of summer, the season moves along far too quickly. I think I found one of the last of the poppies putting on a nice show.
Basking
I caught this Red-winged Blackbird enjoying the warmth of the sun earlier this month. The park is popular with these birds and you’re usually greeted by their song as you approach the path.
Family Swim
I like to watch the geese out with their young, showing them the way.
Stormy Weather
The weather has been very unsettled lately. It makes sky watching a must.
Gosling
When I took this photo about two weeks ago I saw goslings of this size as well as young geese that were bigger and approaching that awkward looking stage. They certainly mature quickly.
Make Way
I was using a long lens and I was very close to the mallard so this image gives the impression that the path was hers 😏
Cardinal
We’re lucky to see and hear a lot of cardinals in our neighbourhood. Although we still live in the city, it’s greener and quieter than where we used to live and it’s rare not to hear bird song early morning and throughout the day.
Greetings, Earthlings
These seed heads could have easily featured in a classic science fiction movie 😊. I believe they are the seed heads of the Pasqueflower and a member of the buttercup family.
Red-winged Blackbird
There were a number of Red-winged Blackbirds at the park when this young one landed quite close to me. I believe it’s a juvenille male.
In the Spotlight
A good part of the garden was still in the shade but not this poppy that appeared to be basking in the sunshine.
More Fun with Grackles
We’ve seen a good number of grackles this year. I enjoy watching them, they’re always striding around looking busy and a bit put out 😏
Lily of the Valley
Another introduced species to North America that is highly invasive. I love to see it though and enjoy its delicacy and fragrance.
First of the Year
After a walk around the reserve and having seen very little we decided to return to the car. A few minutes from the entrance we came upon this Black-crowned Night Heron. A first of the year sighting!
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 