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.
Tag Archives: Nikon Canada
SKIPPER IN NOVEMBER
With freezing rain in the forecast what better time for a scene like this.
GOLDEN
This goldfinch was the last thing I expected to see in surroundings like these. You just never know 😊 .
Marvellous Mallards
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.
ROCK ART
I didn’t see this rock art being created and I don’t know how long it had been standing. Someone had formed a circle with these balancing rocks which I rather liked.
QUIET SUNDAY – 2
Another scene taken on the weekend. The cormorants and gulls looked like board game pieces.
QUIET SUNDAY
A quiet Sunday by the river.
YOU TOOK MY SPOT
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!
GARDEN VARIETY
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 PHOEBE
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.
SCREECH OWL AND THE FOREST (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
PATTERNS ON THE SHORE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
LAST OF THE BEES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took these photos earlier in the month. Hard to believe as the temperature today is struggling to reach double digits 😏.
GREAT EGRET
I had few opportunities to photograph Great Egrets this summer but I did get a few chances. I hope to have more next year.
ALL SEASON FAVOURITE
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!
FALL FASHION (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
CALM (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The mallard pair found a quiet spot near shore. No other ducks, barely a breeze; a perfect moment.
UNEXPECTED
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.
MOVING ON
Summer has been working on its fall project for months. Scenes like this make me miss summer a bit less.
GONE TO SEED (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I enjoy photographing the seed heads of Queen Anne’s Lace. Their structure is a delicate marvel.
COMMUNITY (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
SIMPLY RED
This red squirrel blends in very well to his environment, particularly in fall.
AMERICAN WIGEON
Another wigeon photo I took one November day. It looked like he was enjoying his greens 😏.
STREET REFLECTIONS
I liked the colour and the slight distortion of the street scene reflected in the glass.
THE BEE MEANS BUSINESS
It didn’t look like there was too much goodness left in the flower but the bee had other ideas!
SEASON DRAWING DOWN
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.
EASTERN SCREECH OWL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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 😏 .
STARLING
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.
CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY
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.
BIRD BUDDIES
There were a lot of ring-billed gulls fishing on the river. These two immature birds took a time out.
CAUGHT IN THE REFLECTION
As attractive as wigeons are, I think the reflections make the photograph. The colours were just right on this early November day.
BUSY SEASON (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
SUNDAY DUCK
Duck enjoying a quiet paddle.
FALL HERON
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 DAHLIA AND THE BEETLE
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!
HONEY BEE
The early bee gets the pollen. One of the first bees I saw this year on a wild rose.
GREAT EGRET – 2
Another lazy day on the river; a Great Egret stretching its legs.
FEMALE HOUSE SPARROW
House sparrows are common in our cities and attractive little birds. Local nesting spots are in the eaves of an office building and in the crevice of a house in the neighbourhood. I check these spots out every spring.
PEKIN DUCKS – 2
Earlier in the summer we ran into this charming pair in a small yard downtown. We looked for them every time we passed by. We went back a few times and then one day they were gone. I hope they found a place in the country and didn’t meet with fowl play 😟.
SOME KIND OF DUCK
It’s been a while since I’ve photographed any ducks but I believe this is a non breeding male mallard. Looking Good 😊.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 