I went for a walk in our neighbourhood today, a familiar route but one I hadn’t taken in the past few weeks. I noticed that the variety of flowers in the gardens had dwindled and what remained was looking tired. The weather is still hot and summer is still with us but the feeling of a long lazy summer stretching out before us is no longer there.
Sometimes a small subject can present a big challenge. Ants are tiny and fast, so I often end up with a blurry image. This particular ant was in no hurry, the light was nicely filtered and this was the result.
If you wait awhile Canada Geese can strike some interesting poses or sometimes you just happen upon a scene like this.
Coneflowers or echinacea are among my favourite summer flowers. They are hardy, long lasting and attract many pollinators. Pretty perfect!
I noticed a nice grouping of Queen Anne’s Lace that I wanted to photograph. When I got a little closer I noticed a Common Red Soldier Beetle walking along its surface. They are partial to open-structured flowers.
I watched as the mother duck led her young ones towards the pond. They all fell into line except for the one at the rear 😊
The vein in the leaf made the title of this post easy. I’m not a fan of yellow jacket wasps and usually head in the opposite direction when they’re flying close by. In this case it was a cool morning and the insect seemed lethargic, so I took these photos with little worry.
There’s a wetland not far from town that we drive to a few times over the summer. When we pulled over we saw a solitary Egret fishing. I wasn’t using my longest lens but the 300mm did a fair job. After a few minutes, I looked away and when I looked back the bird was in the air. Look at those legs, pulled together like a diver in flight!
The clouds looked like they held rain but it remained overcast. I like conditions like this, and the soft light worked in my favour.
I’m happy to see a lot of bees this year. A bit of good news for us all.
The window was rain streaked but it didn’t block the cat’s view of the street. It seemed content to stare, so I took my photo and left him to it.
Despite how quickly the days are moving along, scenes like this serve as a reminder that there’s still plenty of summer left!
The rain and wind had bowed the peony, it was still beautiful though.
I rarely see a snapping turtle swimming as they move silently through the water (and my camera is often pointed up, not down 😏). It served as a good reminder to look around more.
I took the male’s portrait and then his mate joined the frame. I think mallards are the comedians of the duck world.
Balancing on the edge of a leaf, that takes some talent. 😊
The river was pretty choppy but this black duck knew exactly how to maneuver through it.
I was surprised to see several of these plants developing at different rates under the same growing conditions. Very much like people do, I guess 😏
Pigeons are common and not very popular given their messy ways. A liked this one though, a very handsome bird.
A milkweed beetle going about its business. 😏
A quiet scene along the river.
A sunny start to the week.
I featured this same lady bug a few posts back. It seemed to be putting on a show just for us that day. This time it was a little fan dance before it flew off.
I had my focus on the cabbage white, it was only when I imported my files that I saw the damselfly. Always nice when something like this happens!
I liked this flower, one I don’t remember seeing before; its beauty a little unconventional.
I usually see grackles near water or in trees, so I was surprised to see this bird walking along in the grass. I know people with bird feeders tend to dislike grackles as they will bully the other birds. I like them though and admire their keen eye and good looks (they also keep the insect population down).
A typical summer scene. If only I could bottle its scent and colours for those dark days of winter.
To all those celebrating, Happy Canada Day!
I’ve photographed a lot of lady bugs but I haven’t seen one move like this before 😊
Frequent viewers have likely noticed that I haven’t been featuring many birds lately. Sticking closer to home, sightings have been fewer – but then I stumbled upon this small pink flamingo. Not as rare as you might think in our urban environment 😏
The water on this stretch of river has the most beautiful reflections. My good luck that the mallard decided to take that route.
As small as it is, this milkweed beetle stood out nicely on the plant it’s named after. Both milkweed and the beetle are toxic so it needn’t worry about being someone’s lunch. It has an impressive set of antennae; it’s a member of the longhorn beetle family.
I featured a different variety of Salsify in one of my recent posts. Some are cultivated, others grow in the wild. I saw this one growing in a field with other wildflowers. Another elegant “weed”.
I couldn’t see what the cat saw but it definitely had something in its sights.
The daisies were growing among the wild grasses; a pretty combination.
I’ve seen bees this motionless early in the day when it’s cool. I took this photo mid morning so that wasn’t the cause. The bee looked to be in good condition, maybe it was just taking a break from collecting pollen.
I’ve only seen this colour of rose in one small corner lot garden. It’s their time to bloom and still some buds to come, so I’ll be back.
Hover flies or flower flies are valuable insects. The larvae of some species prey on aphids and the adults are pollinators. Until I picked up a camera I wasn’t aware of these attractive little insects. Now I look out for them each summer.
The mallard had recently gotten out of the water and was drying off on the grass. I hesitated for a moment before I approached. It looked like a no nonsense duck!
I remember making flowers out of tissue paper when I was a young. Carefully separating and fanning the layers and securing them with a bobby pin. These tissue-like poppies reminded me of those flowers, particularly the slightly windblown ones to the right of the frame 😏
A saw this pretty weed growing in a small front garden. I think it’s a salsify, a member of the dandelion family. Except for some peony bushes, the rest of the garden was filled with wild flowers pretty much left to the sun and rain. All in all a very pleasing garden mix.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 