This is a first winter ring-billed gull or at least it was, when I took the photo in October. It is still speckled and has a pink bill. You can appreciate these birds on their own when they don’t blend into the colony.
Tag Archives: Nature Photography
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
These birds are among the first to return in the early spring. We’ll just have to wait a few more weeks. However, I did see a pair of Canada Geese flying overhead. What a sight at the end of a long winter 😊
WHITE TRILLIUM
Trilliums grow wild in our woods in late spring. Another thing to look forward to as winter fades.
TIME OUT
Cormorants and gulls found the same outcropping to enjoy some sun on an early October day.
BRISK
Sometimes you just have to plunge right in.
RUFFLED
This female northern cardinal had just flown back from a feeder. If a bird can look put out this one certainly did.
FLOWER POWER
Spring passes quickly here. Yesterday we had record breaking warm temperatures, today we’re back in the deep freeze. A few flowers were urgently called for…
THURSDAY TURTLES
Sun loving painted turtles dig into the mud at the bottom of lakes and ponds over the winter. Their metabolism slows down and they can survive without food and very little oxygen. They’re not stirring yet but as spring returns and the days get warmer we’ll be seeing them again in great numbers.
DOWNY WOODPECKER
Another occasion where I heard the woodpecker tapping away before I spotted him.
BEE AND WILD ROSE SEASON
There is a patch of wild roses that attract bees of all kinds every summer. This one was doing a little happy dance .😊
PRETTY IN PINK
I watched the cabbage white move between the flowers taking samples as it went.
ROBIN
I haven’t seen a Robin yet but I keep looking. We associate them with spring but I have seen the occasional one in the winter.
DAY LILY
A little bit of colour on this cold grey day.
Happy Feet
I featured this green heron a few days ago as it came in for a landing. Here’s a parting shot. 😏
Uninvited
Japanese Beetles are a form of scarab beetle. Despite their attractive appearance, they are an invasive species in North America and parts of Europe and very destructive to many crops and flowers. They do make interesting photography subjects though.
TA-DA
I watched as the green heron searched the shoreline for something to eat. Without success it flew off only to come in for a landing a short time later.
LAZY AFTERNOON
These American Black Ducks had the right idea.
COMING SOON…
On this sunny February day, with the temperature above zero, it’s easier to imagine a scene like this before too long. 😊
YOUNG FEMALE WOOD DUCK
We are fortunate to see quite a few wood ducks during the warmer months. They return each year to a nearby lake, breed and raise their young and then migrate at the first frost. I took this photo in late summer.
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
I didn’t see the Daddy Long Legs, in the bottom of the frame, when I took the photo . The beetle obviously did. I hope it managed to make its getaway.😏
EARLY SPRING
Yesterday was Groundhog Day in Canada and the United States. Two famous Canadian Groundhogs, one from Quebec and another from Nova Scotia predicted that we will have an early spring as neither saw their shadow. It seems their American pal is in agreement .😊
COMMON BLUET
It’ll be a while before we see any damselflies but in the meantime I thought I’d revisit a bit of summer.
MESSY WORK
The river is shallow at this point and muddy. It’s also a favourite fishing spot for Egrets. This one had caught something, and cleaned up after eating .😊
QUIET MOMENT
I had not expected to see the wood duck on the path. I took this with a long lens and clipped a bit of its wing but enjoyed the bird’s relaxed pose.
Chill
The duck doesn’t seem to mind winter at all.
This is a slightly re-edited version of a photo I’ve featured before.
WAITING FOR SPRING
Like many of us right now.😏
TIPS’S HIS HAT
You can just see a bit of this downy woodpecker’s red cap. I like the way his back feathers caught the wind as well.
FRIDAY CHICKADEE
I’ve featured this photo before but in colour. This time I turned it into black and white and edited it a bit differently.
HOVERFLY ON FLEABANE
On a day like today, snowing and cold, I thought I’d revisit summer for a while.
CHICKADEE CHEER
I always enjoy seeing these little birds while walking in the woods.
GULLS ACTING BADLY
I wondered why the birds were in such a frenzy, when I imported the image I saw why. The gull in the lower right-hand corner had caught something to eat that the others wanted. The scene is a bit raw but nature is that way sometimes.
LATE DAY SWIM
These geese took their time navigating through the dense reeds. There were no other birds in sight, just this calm pair.
BIG PICTURE
Sometimes the little things are the big picture.
NEW YEAR’S GOOSE
One of many Canada Geese I’ll be featuring this year. I do like these birds; they have a few character flaws but then don’t we all. 😏
LUNCHTIME
The surface of lily pads can be messy. I was going to edit out a bit of the “muck” when I realized it consisted of flies, a frog’s meal of choice. I kept them in it made for a more realistic picture.
DOWNY WOODPECKER
One of the nice things about Downy Woodpeckers is that they remain here even in the winter. They continue to find insects by drilling into the bark of trees; their diet also includes berries and well stocked feeders.
SNOW DAY
I took this photo in mid-December, a few years back. We’ve seen very little snow this winter, more rain than anything else. Today is colder though so maybe we’ll see some soon. A December without any snow is unusual. I wonder if this is the new normal …
INTO THE FUTURE
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
TIMID TOM
Our local reserve was closed for a few weeks this summer when a trio of male turkeys were acting aggressively towards passersby. This Tom wasn’t one of the rowdies. 😏
LOST
I took many shots of this egret last summer. I have never seen one moving through the tall grass before. We were taking a path to the river and thought we might see one fishing there. I think this egret should have asked for directions 😏
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 