Despite their reputation, crows have some positive qualities. They’re highly intelligent, consume waste and litter and if you see them flying in groups calling loudly, there’s a good chance that an owl is nearby. No owls this day but still a handsome crow,
Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in North America. We’re fortunate that they remain year round, On a grey winter day, seeing this lively colourful bird always brightens things up.
I thought it unusual not to see an ant on the peony buds. But the fly was colourful so I took the photo. In processing, I noticed an ant; it’s upside down on the upper bud.
If I could choose I’d have the ground covered in flower petals rather than snow 😏.
The chipmunk’s pose showed off his fine racing stripes 😊
As winter approaches, the landscape becomes drab. This fine looking mallard added some much needed colour. A few resident ducks remain throughout the winter; close to shore the river remains open and they find a way to carry on.
With freezing rain in the forecast what better time for a scene like this.
This goldfinch was the last thing I expected to see in surroundings like these. You just never know 😊 .
I took this photograph one December day when the light was just right. The male’s head was the emerald green you see here, I didn’t enhance the colour.
Another scene taken on the weekend. The cormorants and gulls looked like board game pieces.
A quiet Sunday by the river.
Standing on a pedestrian bridge, I watched some gulls fly overhead. I haven’t taken many birds in flight shots and thought I’d practice as this gull came in for a landing. I liked the expression on the other bird!
Canada Geese are pretty commonplace. Not always welcome, they can be loud and messy but they still hold an appeal. Right now we see them in large V formations, heading south.
Eastern Phoebes migrate south between September and November, so this is probably the last one I’ll see until Spring. We enjoy them for only a short period so every sighting is a pleasure.
The screech owl I saw a few weeks ago is still around, It had changed trees and I had a different lens this time. I liked the wider shot below, but also cropped in close to give a better view of the owl.
On a walk by the river, I noticed the exposed roots of the old tree. They formed swirling patterns on the shoreline. They reminded me of the legs of some fantastic sea creature.
I took these photos earlier in the month. Hard to believe as the temperature today is struggling to reach double digits 😏.
I had few opportunities to photograph Great Egrets this summer but I did get a few chances. I hope to have more next year.
We’re fortunate to see black-capped chickadees all year round. I’m always amazed at how a bird so tiny can survive our winters!
In the first photo, I wanted to fill the frame with colour, you can barely see the sky for the leaves. I concentrated on a single leaf in the second shot and didn’t notice the crab spider in the lower right of the image until I imported it.
The mallard pair found a quiet spot near shore. No other ducks, barely a breeze; a perfect moment.
On a walk last week, hoping to take some landscapes, I noticed this pretty bunch of daisies. As I moved closer I saw this wasp-like insect as well as a number of bees on the flowers. I didn’t have an ideal lens for insects but I took a couple of photos anyway. I imagine one of my last insect photos this year.
Summer has been working on its fall project for months. Scenes like this make me miss summer a bit less.
I enjoy photographing the seed heads of Queen Anne’s Lace. Their structure is a delicate marvel.
We have quite a few Community Gardens in the city. I saw these flowers growing next to a vegetable patch. Their bold colours caught the sun rather nicely.
This red squirrel blends in very well to his environment, particularly in fall.
Another wigeon photo I took one November day. It looked like he was enjoying his greens 😏.
I saw this Labrador Retriever one day on a walk. He wasn’t bothered by me or my camera, never so much as barked as I took a few shots. Too busy watching his owner at the foot of the driveway.
It didn’t look like there was too much goodness left in the flower but the bee had other ideas!
This scene was taken on a late fall day a few years ago but today’s cold wind is a hint of what’s to come. The wood ducks hold on until the first frost, so they’ll be around for a bit longer.
We took a walk recently along the edges of a local reserve; we haven’t walked its trails since Covid struck, the place is packed with people. The crowds must have driven this eastern screech owl out of the park and close to where we were walking. We’ve only seen these owls in daylight and usually looking half asleep 😏 .
European starlings have a bad reputation – they can push native birds from nesting cavities, damage crops and more. Yet, after a long winter, they’re one of the first birds to return and are attractive with their iridescent colouring. This individual looked pretty mellow.
I took this photo earlier in the summer. Cabbage whites are some of the first butterflies we see in the spring and they’re still flying well into September. Given how cool the nights are getting you have to marvel at their tenacity.
There were a lot of ring-billed gulls fishing on the river. These two immature birds took a time out.
As attractive as wigeons are, I think the reflections make the photograph. The colours were just right on this early November day.
As the end of summer approaches it’s time to prepare for the colder weather. It looks like the chipmunk above is doing a little product sampling.
Duck enjoying a quiet paddle.
I was taking in the scenery when I saw a Great Blue Heron doing the same. It was early November and he’d be leaving soon for sunnier climes.
The Japanese Beetle had a tenuous grip on the dahlia but managed to right itself. They are attractive beetles but are destructive and feed on a large variety of plants. No friend to gardeners!
The early bee gets the pollen. One of the first bees I saw this year on a wild rose.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 