The first photo was taken in the fall and the second barely a month later; the landscape changes rapidly with the seasons. Red squirrels can be found all year long and seem to shadow you in the winter when food is scarce. In the photo below the squirrel found the seeds that someone had left and stayed put as I approached. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I took this photo and then left him to his meal.
Nuthatches are flighty birds but this one stayed still for a while so I was able to take several photographs. He wasn’t foraging for insects when I photographed him so he remained upright instead of striking the usual sideways or upside down pose. Although considered quite common I rarely see a red-breasted nuthatch and was very pleased to see this one.
Late Fall. The playground is silent, the trees are bare, too cold for the kids and the birds! Most of the colour comes from man-made materials, until the temperature dips and the sun comes out. Then there is no bluer a sky or a white so brilliant as the new snow. These are the colours of Winter.
This scene is a perfect antidote to this late December day. I thought the image looked like a corsage designed by nature. The photo to me is less about the spider and the flower and more about the colour and delight of summer.
I took this photo in October. This duck like most others has long since flown south. The American Black Duck is vastly outnumbered by mallards in our waterways and I don’t see more than a few pairs all season. They appear less gregarious than mallards and are often in pairs or enjoying a solitary swim. There’s a lot to be said for their quiet, elegant ways.
I live in Ottawa, the capitol city that is often ranked the coldest in the world. It’s hard to believe that only a few short months ago the nearby fields were covered in flowers. Here’s a sweet reminder of what’s to come.
Nothing compares with ducks for their natural enthusiasm! Ducks appear frequently on my blog and mallards most often, as they are the most common duck (and bird) in this area. We have more exotic avian visitors during the warmer months but for dependability, good looks and charm mallards are my pick.
These two were taking a last swim before heading south for the winter. You often see geese and wood ducks swimming in the same general area but these birds seemed to be buddies. The water takes on a lovely cut glass quality in November; the reflections of the sky and bare tree branches provide the colour.
I haven’t done much landscape photography and it’s a type of photography I’d like to work on. Of the two photographs of wood ducks in this post, I think the first might be considered landscape-like. I like to provide context in my nature shots and with such an irresistible canvas my crop was minimal. I think the second photo speaks for itself.
Baltimore Orioles migrate to our area in mid to late May and this bird was right on schedule. He must have found something tasty to eat as he remained in the tree as I continued to take photographs. I thought we might also see his mate as we were there for a while. We didn’t, maybe he was unattached or she was busy elsewhere.
There’s never too much of a good thing at least when it comes to wigeons. A few more photos of the wigeon pair that I featured last week. I think the reflections in the lake compete for the viewer’s attention. The changing colours turn the normally murky water into a remarkable canvas.
Every year in the late fall we see a few wigeon pairs migrating through our area. It’s one of the more pleasant aspects of the changing seasons. When this pair swam apart I got several shots of each swimming through nice fall reflections. More to come.
Frequent readers of my blog might be aware that I’m no fan of winter. As the temperature drops, I make far less excursions to our local reserve. Happily I have a number of photos taken in the warmer months of the year yet to post.
I’ve sat on this image for quite a while, not sure whether to post it or not. I usually like to crop closer in to my subject(s) but in this case, I decided to focus on the rugged terrain and the challenging conditions these painted turtles face at our local reserve. I assume they made it safely across but I had to be somewhere that afternoon so I couldn’t wait around to find out😊.
I watched as this mallard trod carefully on a fine sheen of ice that had formed on the lake. It was late afternoon and I was taken by the light. At this time of the year no matter how grey and wet the day the golden hour truly is golden.
An attractive little bird, it landed close by and remained long enough for me to photograph it. This was taken in early spring, and it’s a migrant species. I believe it’s a phoebe, but please correct me if I’ve got it wrong.
Walking along in the Ottawa market area, a crowd was gathered around a very small convertible. As we approached we could see why. This wonderful Great Dane sat calmly in the front seat waiting for his owner to finish his shopping. The dog was riding in style on this pleasant November day. Once the snow arrives he’ll have to hit the pavement again, being way too big to fit in this tiny car.
The skipper butterfly is a favourite of mine for its beauty and for the way it positions itself on grass and reeds, almost making the photograph. Skippers are most numerous in mid summer but I’ve seen them earlier and later as well. This past May, as I walked along a path that cut through a field, I saw one, then another and within several feet upwards of 50 feeding on wildflowers. They must have very recently emerged. What a delight that was!
Trilliums appear in our woods in spring and have a relatively long growing season, blooming through April and May. It’s another species that is supposed to be quite common yet I haven’t seen them that often. On this occasion they were dotted along the pathway, ours to enjoy.
November’s here, a dark and brooding month. The waterways are still open but who knows for how much longer. This duck was enjoying a quiet paddle but kept a wary eye on me as I took this photo.
This photo was meant to be a practice shot. One morning while at the reserve, I checked the back of my camera and noticed a lot of the images were out of focus. I hadn’t used my 70-200mm in a while, so I wondered if it was me or if the lens was the problem. I pointed the camera at these leaves (which were perfectly still) and pressed the shutter release. This is the result. Flighty birds taken at too low a speed caused the blurry images. Not my lens😏.
Two mallards enjoying the calm before the snow begins. When I took these photos last week we were enjoying a mild stretch, the ducks seemed to like it too. As I write this, wet snow is falling. Although most ducks will fly off soon, a hardy few persevere throughout the winter. No snowbirds (Canadians who head south for the winter) are they.
I hadn’t been to our local reserve in a while so I was particularly happy to see this Red-breasted nuthatch close to the entrance. A bit smaller than the white-breasted variety and not as numerous in our woods, this little guy was very active, flying and landing briefly in the surrounding trees. A nice start to our walk.
The warm weather is long gone in these parts but a quick look through my photo catalogues brought to light these summer delights. The colours, scents and quality of light for a few short months each year make any walk, at any time, a pleasure.
This building, The Aberdeen Pavilion, was the central hall of the Central Canada Exhibition, that took place in Ottawa, Canada every August between 1888-2010 with the exception of World War II. What began mainly as an agricultural fair expanded over the years to include a midway. The land around the Pavilion has been redeveloped in recent years and the fair no longer takes place but this beautiful building, designated a heritage site, is still enjoyed by the public and houses other events throughout the year. I took the photo on a sunny day this summer but I think it lends itself to black and white.
This back view of the wood duck made me think of the ducktail, a haircut that was popular in the 50s. You don’t necessarily have to get your subject face on to get a decent shot. I liked the duck’s puffed up chest in the second photo too, as if his “do” wasn’t enough to impress the ladies😊.
As the warm weather ends and frogs begin hibernation, I thought it would be fun to have another look at these wonderful subjects. There is a cove at the reserve that was a perfect spot to photograph a variety of frogs. After a summer windstorm, access to it was blocked by fallen trees so we had to go further afield for photo opportunities. It would be nice if the management of the reserve does a bit of clearing next spring so that we can enjoy these little creatures nearby once again.
Chickadees forage well on their own all summer long, so we don’t see as much of them until the weather gets cooler. They’ll soon become our constant companions. When I took this photograph earIy last month I was lucky that the bird sat still long enough for me to take its picture. Often they don’t!
In June when the peonies begin to bud the ants arrive in droves. The buds secrete a sap that attracts the ants. Once the flowers bloom the ants disappear with no harm done to the plants. I had my 105mm the day I took this photo, I had hoped for some flower shots and got a “twofer” instead!
This wood duck pair was enjoying a quiet swim around the lake. The photo was taken in May when both were in full breeding colours, no young yet for these two. Parenthood was still a few weeks away.
If the weather cooperates we usually see the first dragonflies at the beginning of May which was the case this year. The photograph above is one of the early bloomers, a clubtail. The second dragonfly, a meadowhawk, was taken in July but I’ve seen them late into the fall. I hope to see a few more before the season ends.
I usually see these little acrobats in the trees and only occasionally foraging on the ground. These two were approaching their meal differently. You only truly appreciate their diminutive size when spotted on the ground. Beautiful little birds that we enjoy year round in this part of the country.
I have rarely come across this variety of skipper. The orange ones are more common in my area. Any time a butterfly remains still long enough to take a photo is a good day. Spotted in early July.
They are our smallest squirrels and yet the most assertive of the lot. It’s funny to see red squirrels chase the larger greys around the park. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re territorial or they just enjoy it. Maybe it’s a bit of both. This little guy was giving me the eye, I blinked first and moved along.
On this cold grey day, summer seems like it’s been over for weeks not days. In looking through my catalogues I found these two photographs I took earlier in the year, when the whole summer stretched before us. We’ll still get some nice temperatures before the cold really sets in but on a day like today a little summer cheer is welcome.
I do like frogs, something I came to realize when I took up nature photography. You have to appreciate their patience and skill in the hunt, their ability to hide in plain sight, their comical expressions and those eyes. With the cooler days upon us, we haven’t seen them for a while. I imagine they’re preparing for their long winter of hibernation until next spring…
This was one of only a few Great Blue Heron sightings all this summer. A cold rainy start, followed by drought conditions might explain this. When I did come upon this regal bird I was delighted. He was just within my len’s reach and just far enough away to not care about my presence. I do hope to see one again before their fall migration south.
I enjoy photographing a lone duck, taking a break from the noisy group. This lake has many fallen trees that the ducks and geese take advantage of for just such a purpose. It was a good year for water lilies and their leaves provide a pleasing backdrop for the shot.
When I get out early enough I often catch the passing parade of people walking their pets. Usually dogs, sometimes a cat or two , and even the occasional ferret. When they’re not being walked you often see them waiting for their owners to return as is the case in these photographs. Dogs tend to look alert and baleful, while cats look rather cool and collected.
We’ve seen more chipmunks than usual this summer. Two reasons for this I imagine – their food sources are plentiful and we’ve seen fewer of their natural enemies in the woods, hawks and owls. This little guy was enjoying a snack and judging from his full cheeks hadn’t finished consuming an earlier one.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 