Black-capped chickadees are all season birds in our area. You’d think that such tiny birds would head south over the winter but they remain, you’ve got to admire them for that! Although you might be tempted to pass them by and concentrate on photographing the spring migrants when they come through, chickadees just call out for some notice any time of year. They’re little acrobats and when one strikes this kind of pose I can’t resist.
The season for black-crowned night herons was quite short in our region last year. When we did spot a heron, it was usually in a clear sight line and often amazingly well posed and poised like this one was. Way to go Surfer Girl!
I took this shot last summer when the flowers were at their peak and the bees were everywhere. Thistles are considered an invasive species but are a favourite food source for certain butterflies, goldfinch and bees. Spot a thistle and there’s likely a good photo opportunity close by. I watched as this bee flew from flower to flower and took it mid flight. If you look closely you can see a fine dusting of pollen on its ‘fur’.
We were finishing our walk and decided to take one last look along the edge of the lake. This mallard seemed to be waiting for his close-up so I obliged. It’s always a challenge taking a dark subject against a snowy background because the subject can appear too dark. Getting the white balance right is another challenge as snow will often look grey or blue. I selectively adjusted the exposure and shadows to correct these issues.
This raccoon was quite easy to spot in its perch above the main hiking trail. There are a few resident raccoons in this reserve and we always keep an eye out for them. I like the way the leaves create a natural frame around the animal. Although I liked this effect, I made some adjustments in Lightroom using the Hue/Saturation/Luminance slider to adjust for the brightness of the leaves.
Last April we spotted this flicker at the entrance to its nest. Over a period of several weeks we saw the bird return to feed its young. Spring is a great time in a reserve, there’s always something to see and photograph! Returning to the same places often enough, you become very familiar with the terrain and with the activity of its inhabitants. Since the weather has improved and we’re out with our cameras again we’ve noticed some nest building underway. Later in the season I hope to feature some shots of this year’s new arrivals.
Last summer I started looking at insects (other than butterflies) as subjects for my photographs. By slowing my pace, scanning the vegetation and underbrush, looking for leaf degradation I began to see an abundance of potential subjects! I had some success taking Ladybug photos and have featured them before on my blog. This was taken with my 105mm and flash which didn’t seem to bother these two one bit!
Someone had turned the dead tree into a bird feeder. The chickadee had discovered the seed and I took these photos as it flew back and forth to retrieve it. I debated whether to remove the blurred plant material that appeared in the background of these shots but decided to keep it in as it looked more natural than the unbroken blue of the water.
The sight and sound of song sparrows is a sure sign that spring has finally arrived. A few overwinter in our region but the majority are “snow birds” returning when the weather improves. Like all small birds you often hear them but they can be challenging to spot. I took this shot last spring but I hope to take more this year as I walk along the trails. As the season starts up they are a terrific subject to photograph.
Female hooded mergansers have a distinctive crest. This one was about to dive so her crest showed to best advantage. Like many diving ducks mergansers tend to remain in the middle of lakes, usually just beyond my lens’ ability to capture them. They are excellent fishers and are often rewarded for their dives. This shot was taken late in the season when the ducks come closer to the shore than usual.
I believe this is an American Redstart. We came upon this nesting female last spring. She was barely off the path we were on. The nest was almost at eye level so we took our shots and then moved on quickly so as not to disturb the bird anymore than we had. It’s the first time I’ve been this close to a bird on her nest and felt lucky we chose to walk that path that day.
I’m always happy too see bumblebees in the fields and on the pathways I visit. I know their numbers are in decline but they seemed quite numerous last summer. In the past I tended to steer clear of bees but it’s been my experience that left undisturbed, they aren’t particularly aggressive. I think the colours of the flower set off the bee quite nicely.
The Downy Woodpecker is common in our area and you often hear them before you see them. The Downy is smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker but its basic colouring is the same. I took this photo at a small F-stop and narrow depth of field which contributed to the background effect you see. I find that it sets the bird off nicely and adds to the photograph.
Several weeks ago I posted a photograph taken last spring of a woodpecker preparing a nest. In this shot I show the same bird feeding his chick. If you look closely, to the right and left of the chick you can just see the beaks of two other nestlings. We passed this same nesting site a few days back. Once again, a male woodpecker was cleaning it up for this year’s young. The last time we checked we saw that a squirrel had taken up residence. I know that squirrels often occupy vacant nests but this one seemed to have had a tenant, maybe the woodpecker changed its mind.
There are many varieties of this butterfly in my region of the country (and thousands worldwide), so I think I’ll just call this one a skipper! The season is short for these beautiful insects and I never pass on the chance to photograph them. It was a nice warm day so the skipper didn’t remain in one spot for long but it kept touching down close by, obliging me with this closeup.
I have featured mallards several times before and they will continue to show up on my blog. I have a soft spot for these ducks. I like to watch their behaviour and they rarely disappoint! While the light looks even, the photo was taken with the sun directly overhead (shadow under the beak) and in this case illuminates the bird quite nicely.
These photos are of two different dragonflies and were taken towards the end of last summer. I enjoy the challenge of photographing these beautiful insects and have learned that when they fly away or get frightened off they will often return to the same blade of grass or stem they were perched on a minute before. If you’re patient and stay put you will be rewarded.
The snapping turtle is prehistoric looking with its long spiked tail and makes for a great subject as it can stay put for long periods of time sunning itself. This is the first time I have tried doing a photograph in black and white. I used Tonality Pro for Mac to affect the changes. While the colour version gives a sense of what I saw, I think the black and white is a better representation of this impressive creature.
American Wigeons are a common duck in North America, they pass through our region during the fall migration. Last year was the first time I had seen any. We spotted three pairs of wigeons along with the other ducks. As luck would have it these two climbed up on a log and allowed me to take some shots. The colourful water provides a nice background for these beautiful birds.
As we were finishing our walk one day last fall, we saw someone we knew and stopped to chat. There were quite a few ducks on the lake that day but other than that we hadn’t seen much. As we turned around to leave I spotted this meadow vole. Catching sight of this little creature was an unexpected treat. Given the dull quality of the light I made some shadow and contrast adjustments and used spot removal to clean up the water a bit using Lightroom.
This is a good example of being in the right place at the right time, catching the heron just as it was landing. The ISO was low, the lighting was ideal and the shutter speed was high enough so that the bird was sharp. I was happy to capture the drama of the moment and the texture of the heron’s wings.
It’s always nice to capture a bird in motion. I took this just as the duck began her display, propelling herself through the lake and stirring up the rather calm water. Shooting at a high speed allowed me to catch the movement of the duck and the water spray.
These photographs are some of the first I have taken of such small insects. Unlike many insects that fly off as soon as they see you, ladybugs don’t seem bothered by your presence so they make excellent subjects. This shot was taken with a 105 mm lens which let me get closer to them than I could before. I also used a flash which allows you to control the light and gives you greater shutter speed, reducing the “shake” factor. As I take my shots hand-held this is very useful.
Chickadees are curious and bold, often feeding right out of your hand. They remain all year round and survive our winters by lowering their body temperature. Chickadees make great subjects but can be challenging to shoot. They’ll fly in close, perch within feet of you and just when your camera is in position they’ll fly off again. In this case the bird was cooperative and the branches form a natural frame.
I took this photo of a female cardinal the other day. Not being much of a winter photographer, it’s my first photo of the year. The winter is fading into spring so it’s easier to get out on the trails and see what’s what. I watched the bird as it flew around with it’s mate and managed to get a clear shot when it landed in the open. I would have preferred to have more space and less tree to the right of the frame but I took the bird where I could, so I guess I can live with the tree.
I do like mallards and I’ve featured them a few times now. They remain in our area year round and when nothing else shows up, you can always count on them for a photo or two. A common duck with uncommon good looks, these two are naturals.
The Black-crowned night herons did not pass through in great numbers last summer. I was happy to spot this bird as he fished. We were standing close by but the heron was focussed on what he was doing and paid no attention to us. We waited for him to catch something but he wasn’t having much luck. We got the better of the deal coming away with a slew of shots.
Flocks of these sparrows passed through our area last fall before migrating south. I find them a challenge to photograph as they forage in the underbrush often in large groups. They don’t remain in one spot for long either and all seem to take off at once. So I was happy to spot this individual in the open and he stuck around just long enough for me to take this shot.
I spotted this dragonfly in late July. Its distinctive colouring makes it a standout. I have only seen the halloween pennant a few times, so I was pleased that I caught it as it perched close by. I think the spider’s web on the right adds another feature to the photograph.
We’re lucky to have very distinct seasons but I think fall is my favourite. The changing of the leaves can make for wonderful photo opportunities. When I sat down to process this photo I cropped it quite closely to highlight the goose. I continued with my usual edits but wasn’t happy with the results. Looking at the photo again I knew that the goose wasn’t the subject of the photo, but an important element of it. The colour, the light, and the mood the scene evoked were key.
It seemed like a long wait last spring before we finally saw the young appear. We came upon this gosling in late May. He had swum over to the log and it seems we spotted each other at the very same instant. He was a distance from the adults so I was glad that he had climbed up onto the log. The lake can be a dangerous place for the new born with its fair share of snapping turtles and mink. Shortly after I took this shot he swam off to join his parents!
We had been watching the pileated woodpeckers excavate the nesting hole for several weeks. Seeing the male chip away from the inside was a sign that the work was almost complete. Later in the summer we saw three chicks pop their heads through the opening (subject for a future post). These woodpeckers are striking birds and hard to miss given their loud calls and the drumming sounds they make as they drill away at trees. The woodpecker in these photos was in a dense stand of trees so it was impossible to move in close. As he was intent on his task I had time to find an opening in the branches to get some clear shots. It’s always a good day when you come across these birds in the woods!
I came across this cottontail one morning last spring. As they are usually nocturnal I thought this was a bit of luck and given what he was up to, doubly so. I guess his snack was of more concern than I was because he held his ground which allowed me to capture him mid chew. Out of camera the shot was in the centre of the frame, I thought this crop gave the picture more impact.
This was the first time I’d seen this type of damselfly. I believe it’s a Spreadwing. It’s rare that this species stays put when people approach. It was just my luck that it held firm for me to take the shot.
Walking along one of our favourite trails we came across some photographers with their cameras pointed upwards. If there had been no one else on the trail we would have walked right by as the owl was silent and its colouring provided perfect camouflage. The eastern screech is a small owl with a big head and almost no neck and it seemed to fit snuggly in the cavity of the tree. Out of camera the owl and tree were quite dark. I made contrast and shadow adjustments and added luminance to give more definition to the sky (all done in Lightroom) to show off this fine little bird.
The mallard’s mates were out of site and she captured my attention alone on the log. I took this shot just as the duck had taken a drink from the lake, I think she looks kind of wistful! I made some contrast and exposure adjustments in Lightroom to brighten the photograph and enhanced the detail in Nik.
I was surprised to come across this frog peaking out from behind some grass a fair distance from the water. I later learned that this is pretty common as this species occupies a wide range of environments. The frog remained perfectly still and I only caught sight of him because my attention was drawn to an insect close by. I sharpened and enhanced the detail in Photoshop and made contrast, shadow and exposure adjustments in Lightroom. I also added a post-crop vignette to darken the edges and draw attention to the centre of the photograph.
The common grackle is a member of the blackbird family although larger with iridescent feathering and striking yellow eyes. Grackles are resourceful and opportunistic foragers. The two shots of this grackle were taken moments apart and show the difference a well lit subject can make to a photograph. In the first photo the position of the bird caught the light to advantage, showing off its spectacular colouring; less so in the second example as the bird changed position. However, capturing the bird with a snack in its bill added some interest and made up for the less than perfect lighting.
There are several spots we always check on as we make our way through the woods. The raccoon was having a nap in a tree where we have spotted raccoons before. The tree is located a fair distance off the path in a dark wooded area. Out of camera the shot was a bit grainy (it was taken at a high ISO) and given how far I was from the subject I had to crop the image significantly. I processed the shot with Macphun’s Noiseless Pro and Nik detail extractor. Another issue was the white balance which I corrected in Lightroom.
On the days when the wildlife in the nature reserve makes itself scarce, you can always count on some mallards to show up. They are a lively bunch and I enjoy their antics. While the majority migrate south during the winter months some remain. I took this photograph in mid-November as the ice was just beginning to form on the lake. The duck obliged for a few shots then walked over to an opening in the ice and swam away.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 