On a recent walk, the woods were alive again with the sounds and sights of spring. A familiar rusting in the leaves alerted me to nearby squirrels. This one approached and stood there staring, hoping for a snack I guess.
Tag Archives: Nature Photography
Female Red-winged Blackbird
We saw several male Red-winged Blackbirds but she was the only female I spotted. She’ll have her pick of the fellas 😊
Earlier Bloomer
Among the first flowering plants we see in the spring are forsythia. Always a welcome sight.
Seen on a Walk
Another spring first, grackles! This imposing bird had just visited a feeder and was strutting off with its prize.
Bee First (Two Photographs)
I stopped to photograph these flowers and saw a bit of movement. Sure enough, it was my first sighting this year of a bee. Things are looking up 😊 .
Spring Downy
I took this photo two weeks ago before the trees had really begun to bud. This male downy woodpecker stood out nicely against the bare tree.
Spring Goose
I saw this goose on a small patch of grass close to the river. The current was strong and the water was high given the recent ice melt. We only saw a few geese on the water; this one was looking for something to eat but I can’t imagine the grass holds much nutrition yet.
Finally…
The best kind of snow drops are the kind pushing through the warming earth 😊
Canada Goose
Geese are returning after a long winter. I took this before today’s snow 😏
Young Robin
Late last spring, I saw this young robin perched on a park bench. I didn’t see any adult birds around, so I guessed he was on his own. He’ll be all grown up now.
Looking On
I believe this is a leucistic Canada Goose, it lacked the usual pigmentation of the other nearby geese but otherwise resembled them. I hope he joined the group after a while, he looked a bit lonely 😏.
Black-capped Chickadee
We’re lucky to enjoy these birds all year round.
Nice to See You
Around the city there are several parks and green spaces that we go to as the weather warms up. We’ve seen the same photographers at these locations over the years and at the beginning of the season it’s always nice to stop and catch up. I liked the way the dog was looking in the same direction as the photographer.
Light and Shade
I like the shape and colours of this flowering plant. The flowers contrast nicely with its dark leaves.
Robin Ready
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.
Electric Blue
The Blue Jay landed on an old electrical insulator as I followed its flight down a laneway.
Chipmunk
It’s nice to see chipmunks putting in an appearance.
You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine
Sometimes, that’s just the way it is 😏
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.
Seen on a walk – 2
A warm March sun brightens the neighbourhood.
Pondering
Many of us are wondering what exactly is going on right now 😏
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 🇨🇦 !
In the Spotlight
Males mallards seem to chum around more than the females. This can lead to a portrait like this.
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.
Something About Mallards
I think I’ve said it before but I do love these ducks 😊
On Alert
A common sparrow, yet I think her stance and the spring setting set her apart.
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…
Female Cardinal
Getting her colour back. I took this photo in late summer as her feathers were growing back in.
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 😊
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.
Coming Attractions
It’s getting closer to sights like this again 😊
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.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 