This building is one of the oldest in an Ottawa suburb. It once housed a grocery, the owner and his family lived above the store. I haven’t been able to find out how old the building is but I’ve read the “ghost” sign has looked weathered for over 75 years. The house has been turned into apartments and its untended garden is a favourite of mine.
We’ve been waiting a long while for a show like this.
The front yard of this house has a collection of objects that the owner has acquired over the years and no two are alike. You just have to stand on the curb and point your camera in the direction of the yard. I thought this bust with a frame placed in front of it was rather curious 😏 .
A bit haughty too.
Always a welcome sight.
On a recent walk we heard a few frogs calling out but couldn’t see any. Finally one swam into view, this handsome leopard frog.
The weather has been up and down lately. Today’s high was 11C, last Friday it was in the high 20Cs. The tulips don’t seem to mind though.
We saw a large group of scaups at the very beginning of May. They were swimming in a small man made lake in a park close to the river. As the river was still high I guess they preferred the more shallow water. We only saw them that once and at quite a distance but I was happy with the sighting.
We’ve seen a lot of robins this spring. What posers they are!
I was at a fair distance from the dachshund but I still didn’t go unnoticed 😏
These birds look intense or angry and rather funny at the same time. I often see grackles by the water, so I’m surprised to see so many this year in city gardens.
That’s the feeling I got while walking past this garden.
This apartment is on the ground floor so I guess the occupants opted for some security. I liked their choice of grill work.
Cats like to perch on window sills. I looked up from the tulips I was photographing and took this shot.
I watched as the starling ran across the lawn, stopping several times to dig in the earth. Finally, it posed with its catch 😏.
Sometimes if you’re lucky you can catch the light just right.
Getting ready for the weekend 😊
I almost walked right past the mourning dove until someone pointed it out; it blended in so well with its surroundings. I usually see them on rooftops or in trees so this one was a surprise.
An older apartment building with an impressive name.
As well as wild violets, there’s no season quite like spring 😊.
There are lot of robins around right now. I caught one mid walk and the other mid stare.
It had been a great day at the lake but all of a sudden it got even better 😊
On a recent walk, the woods were alive again with the sounds and sights of spring. A familiar rusting in the leaves alerted me to nearby squirrels. This one approached and stood there staring, hoping for a snack I guess.
We saw several male Red-winged Blackbirds but she was the only female I spotted. She’ll have her pick of the fellas 😊
A laneway view of the rooftop of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ottawa’s Chinatown. The area was and continues to be home to many new Canadians.
Among the first flowering plants we see in the spring are forsythia. Always a welcome sight.
We had a fine warm day today but the gardens need a bit more sun to really shine, In the meantime a closer look at my surroundings usually pays off. I liked the way someome had dressed up this modest entrance way.
It looks like this little metal frog has weathered many winters. It’ll be nice to see the real thing once it warms up a bit more.
We’re all feeling wary these days.
Another spring first, grackles! This imposing bird had just visited a feeder and was strutting off with its prize.
I stopped to photograph these flowers and saw a bit of movement. Sure enough, it was my first sighting this year of a bee. Things are looking up 😊 .
I took this photo two weeks ago before the trees had really begun to bud. This male downy woodpecker stood out nicely against the bare tree.
This past weekend saw the warmest temperatures so far this spring. Everyone was out enjoying the spring sunshine.
I saw this goose on a small patch of grass close to the river. The current was strong and the water was high given the recent ice melt. We only saw a few geese on the water; this one was looking for something to eat but I can’t imagine the grass holds much nutrition yet.
The best kind of snow drops are the kind pushing through the warming earth 😊
The lines and curves caught my eye.
I watched as the house sparrow perched on the brick and window sills of this old house. I looked to see whether it had a nesting hole somewhere in the brick, as sparrows often build their nests in buildings, but saw nothing. It’s a busy time for them,
Geese are returning after a long winter. I took this before today’s snow 😏
Late last spring, I saw this young robin perched on a park bench. I didn’t see any adult birds around, so I guessed he was on his own. He’ll be all grown up now.
I believe this is a leucistic Canada Goose, it lacked the usual pigmentation of the other nearby geese but otherwise resembled them. I hope he joined the group after a while, he looked a bit lonely 😏.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 