We stopped by a reserve today hoping for a few signs of Spring. This is what it looks like in my corner of the world! This Canada Goose must have been wondering what was going on… The ice is beginning to recede on the lake but we need some +C temperatures to help things along. No snow drops or wild violets yet but we did see a few wood ducks in the open water and a pileated woodpecker starting a nest, sure signs of spring!
I came across this rabbit as he was feeding on winter grass that was slowly coming back to life. We spotted each other at about the same time. As I was moving quietly and gave him plenty of space he watched me for a few moments and then went back to his meal. I took a few photos and then left him to it.
I haven’t been posting many recent photos as the extremely cold temperatures discourage new photography excursions. As I’ve taken many chickadee shots in the past I thought I’d put up a few more. I never tire of these little birds, I hope you agree.
American Black Ducks are becoming more common on our waterways although still not as numerous as Mallards. A little more reclusive than the gregarious mallard I often see them alone or in pairs. They can interbreed and compete for the same food. This lake has a lot of fallen trees so there are many opportunities for photos such as this.
I have always loved this old tree. It hangs on by the edge of the lake, battered and scarred but still standing. The graceful curve of its bark forming a waterfall-like reflection in the water and one of its branches forming a jetty. Birds still gather near it, the wood duck and her chicks having a rest for a while.
It’s been a long, cold winter and I haven’t been on the trails much (not a big fan of winter). But on seeing this brilliant cardinal for inspiration, I’m dusting off my gear, examining every tree I pass for buds and counting the days/weeks when I’ll be out in earnest again.
It was mid March last year when I took this photo. A long winter was drawing to a close and more people were out in the woods enjoying the milder weather and bearing gifts for the locals. This squirrel was enjoying the bounty and neither this photographer nor any competition was going to move him along.
The first chickadee has appeared on my blog before but in colour, I had not started working in black and white two years ago. I always liked the photo and thought it earned a second bow. The second photo was taken more recently. I chose to feature them together given the birds’ excellent acrobatic skills.
I saw this female Redstart during nesting period last Spring. We were climbing up a steep, tree lined path when someone up ahead motioned to the nest. This shot was taken on an uneven surface through the trees and although the bird’s body was nice and sharp, her head wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked it. Yet, it was my first nesting Redstart, so all and all not a bad beginning to the season.
I have never been this close to a Great Blue Heron. It had landed right on the water’s edge, a few feet from where we were standing. There was a lot of brush around, which I couldn’t avoid but I don’t mind it in the frame. I used Field Blur in Photoshop to soften it a bit. I wondered if the heron was a young bird, it was so close to us and yet so fearless.
I love to watch nuthatches as they search for food, their moves are very impressive. Their nasal calls are distinctive and will lead you to them if you don’t spot them first. Both of these photographs were taken last winter, the first when the sun was low casting a golden glow. Both birds were male, they have darker caps than the female’s greyer version.
Two summers ago we had several Great Blue Herons at the reserve which was not the case last summer. In 2016 the water level was lower than this past year which made for easier fishing. The first heron is flying away with a catfish, the second is displaying a rather graceful takeoff. These herons are a pleasure to watch and photograph in flight or as as they stalk, fish, or preen, usually ignoring the photographer.
There is a group of mallards that remain here all winter. They congregate along the river’s edge that stays clear of ice. People feed them and between that and the bit of vegetation they find they seem to do alright. A hardy lot these ducks!
Both of these squirrels are well represented in our woods. The red squirrel looked like a young one, relaxed as he ate his snack. Maybe he thought I couldn’t see him with the branches providing a bit of cover. The black eastern grey squirrels are more common here than the grey variety and he was more on the alert than the red.
The chickadees seem to have come through the long winter in fine form. The trails are scattered with seeds that walkers provide as they visit the park, so the few birds that we’ve come across are looking pretty well fed. We’ve seen more squirrels than birds so far but as the warm weather returns I’m sure that will balance out.
The first Cardinals of 2018! There’s still a good amount of snow on the trails but on that day it was sunny and warmer so we had a good surface on which to walk. Given the brilliant white of the snow this male cardinal looked even more striking against the white background. On a day like this we could feel spring inching along.
I’ve featured nuthatches several times before. They are common in our woods but like a lot of birds that are considered pretty ordinary they have extraordinary beauty and personality, two attributes that aren’t that common really! The bird is in pretty typical poses for nuthatches, acrobatic birds that they are.
Like many kids growing up, I loved The “Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. This gentle looking meadow vole reminded me of this childhood favourite. We stood and watched as it munched its way along the lakefront, not giving us a second look. We were lucky to see one as they’re mainly active at night.
This bee was right in the thick of it, gathering pollen as he gave a nod in my direction. I used to be wary of bees and still have a great deal of respect for them, but I’ve learned that if left undisturbed they are not generally aggressive and just want to get on with the work at hand.
What a splendid looking duck! I’ve only seen a northern shoveler this one time and if I don’t get the opportunity again, I feel pretty lucky to have seen one just this once. He was swimming on his own in a quiet inlet, enjoying some duckweed as we walked by. I like to think he had some company on his flight south, perhaps his mate was swimming out of view.
Our local florists and grocery stores are stocked with spring bulbs and flowers, By late February most of us are eager for signs of spring. These tulips were taken last May at our annual tulip festival, still several months away but it’s never too early to enjoy their colour and anticipate their return.
I never tire of wood ducks, especially in full colour with autumn reflections in the water. As I had mentioned in a recent post, wood ducks were found in great numbers last year and we had a mild fall so they remained well into November. There’s nothing like this punch of colour on a dull February day.
A steep path through the woods led to an open field. We often stop by hoping to spot something interesting. It was late October and we hadn’t expected to see butterflies and especially not in the numbers we did that afternoon. I spotted one, then another, painted ladies were everywhere. It seems we were on their migration path last fall as they headed south. Luckily we were out that day and saw them too.
Of all the ducks at the reserve last year, wood ducks were there in the greatest numbers, mallards usually outnumber all other ducks but not this past season. By late summer you could get closer to the wood ducks than earlier in the year without frightening them off. The lake has many inlets and coves with plenty of perches the ducks like to climb onto, making for some wonderful backdrops.
Here are two more examples of insects I have taken with a telephoto lens, I had to do a fair amount of cropping but retained the detail in the images.
I was never a great fan of insects in the past. But since encountering them out in the field, I can appreciate their beauty, fearlessness and the important role they play in nature.
It was a pleasure to see a few wigeons well into November one year. It had been quite a mild fall which must have encouraged them to stay a while longer. This male obligingly swam into the colourful reflection just as I was walking by.
I’m not sure if this is a bee or a bee mimic, perhaps someone might be able to confirm which it is. It was a three-fer day: summer, flowers and insects. The photo was taken hand held with my 300mm lens. I had planned on taking bird photos but I saw this opportunity and gave it a try. I usually only take one lens with me when I leave the house (I hate carrying a lot of equipment). You can get some nice close-up shots with long lenses too.
I took these herons within a few days of each other. I’m not sure if they’re the same bird. The wispy head feathers on only one makes me suspect not. Some years we have spotted as many as three at the lake, other years only one. Of the three varieties of herons that migrate here over the summer months I think the green herons have the most striking colouring. When they’re busy fishing they’re not easily disturbed and ignore cameras pointed in their direction.
There are many varieties of water lilies but I’ve only seen two types in our local waterways: white Fragrant Water Lilies and Yellow Pond lilies. Their large floating leaves make great runways for dragonflies. I tried to expose for the white of the flower when I took these photographs but I still had to make some highlight and shadow adjustments in Lightroom, to get the correct exposure and bring out more definition in the petals. I also removed some of the bugs that were carpeting the petals, they were a bit too “Hitchcock-like” in their natural state.
Like many cities with short summers, Ottawa is packed with festivals and events throughout the warmer months. Often several occur at the same time on the same day so there’s plenty to choose from. We were at one such event on Parliament Hill, when I took a break from the crowds. I was happy to come across this ladybug taking in the sights, opting for a snack not listed on the food truck menu boards😊 .
Both of these photos were taken at a narrow enough depth of field to get out of focus backgrounds. The first shot taken in late summer, has the bird showing off its acrobatic talent. The second chickadee was shot in the fall when most of the trees had shed their leaves but enough of them remained to create this amber effect. Always nice when the background complements the subject.
Early November, before winter has truly set in is a nice time to be at the lake. As the ice begins to form, a fall tableau is revealed under the frozen surface of the water. The park is quiet and expectant, waiting like us all for the long season of cold and snow that’s quickly approaching.
These downy woodpeckers were busy looking for insects in a stand of trees. You can see a trace of wood shavings on the male downy’s beak (below), he’d been working away for quite a while. The female soon joined in. These woodpeckers inhabit our woods year round, they are industrious birds, you often hear them before you see them.
I remember the day I took this photograph. It was hot. Mid-July. We had been walking along a dusty path beside a field overgrown with tall grass and wildflowers that seemed to thrive despite the heat. We were nearing the end of our walk when this swallowtail landed on a nearby flower. It was in no hurry and I was able to take several photographs. I have not seen a black swallowtail again and was pretty pleased to have had this opportunity.
Time for a little flower power. We’re supposed to see a warming trend at the end of the week and I hope to get out with my camera. The weather has just been too cold for my camera and I can’t take photos wearing heavy mittens😏. Until then…
Red squirrels are shyer than grey squirrels except in winter when food is scarce. They watch you closely as you walk along hoping for a snack. I had nothing with me that day and felt kind of badly as I did my rounds. Someone ahead of me had left a trail of seeds and nuts though and it wasn’t long before the squirrel was eating his fill.
We saw a few pairs of wigeons for two years running but none last year at all. It was a strange year in the weather and seemed to effect the migration patterns of many birds, as few showed up in their usual numbers.
When we first saw these beautiful ducks they remained quite far from shore but as the summer and fall wore on they swam closer allowing for some good photo opportunities.
I had planned on taking birds in flight or waterfowl when I spotted these downy woodpeckers. Downies usually move quickly up and down a tree, pecking away until they find a spot with insects. These two, although moving fast, did pause for a bit. I had my 300mm lens with me which got me quite close to them. I like a bit more space around my subjects but I think the birds’ poses added some interest.
As the long days of winter drag on continue, I dream of warm weather and plan summer projects. One of these is to do more insect photography. I never really appreciated their variety and beauty until I took up photography more seriously. Dragonflies are favourites of mine for their colour and delicacy and how they seem to pose so thoughtfully for the camera.
It’s been a few months since we last saw these colourful migrants. I took this photo in October and by November this wood duck and his mates had flown south. From time to time I see them featured on other photographers’ blogs in their winter digs. I look forward to their return before too long.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 