I had wondered how sneezeweed, this attractive wildflower got its common name. Indigenous people and early settlers ground it up for medicinal use as well as to make snuff, It certainly brightens up the landscape in late summer and has never once made me sneeze 😏
Fall is certainly putting in an appearance. There’s still a lot of green about but the curtain is drawing on summer.
The red squirrel was sorting through the seeds under a feeder. Another animal I haven’t seen much of this summer.
We visited a local wildlife garden recently and saw more that morning than we had in several recent visits. Among the sightings was this American Goldfinch. He was moulting now that breeding season is over and will soon migrate further south.
The Japanese Beetle has no natural predators in North America so it’s very destructive to a large variety of plants. They are attractive though and I enjoyed watching this one lounge on some spotted jewelweed.
This person’s yard was a tangle of vines, flowers and imaginative artwork.
Sunflowers always have a nice long run. Some are beginning to fade but this bunch is still looking bright.
It’s nice to see the bees still gathering pollen in early September. Many flowers look like they’ve been picked over by now but it seems they still have a little more to give.
At least it looks that way to me 😊
I believe this is a tortoiseshell cat, a cat I’ve never seen before. It was watching me as closely as I was watching it!
Wood ducks really don’t have a bad side 😊 .
I like Ravens in silhouette.
Adult damselflies have a very short lifespan, measured in weeks. In their larval stage, development usually takes one to two years. It’s not a long courtship period 😏.
These are the most common turtles we see around here. They have an anti freeze-like substance in their blood that keeps their cells from freezing when the temperature drops. They hibernate in the mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes and emerge again in the spring. As long as the sun is warm we still get to enjoy them.
Canada Geese migrate south when the temperature turns cold. Not everyone’s favourite waterbird but I enjoy them especially like this, taking a quiet swim.
We had noticed a snapping turtle close by and hoped the young wood duck would veer off before the turtle got too close. Fortunately she did.
Still sunny and bright but these sunflowers are slowly starting to fade.
The few Great Blue Herons I’ve seen this summer have been at quite a distance. I usually see them fishing in the reeds close to shore. This pond is large and not very deep. I guess the heron was trying his luck a little further afield.
I noticed this dog watching as another chased its ball. I was at quite a distance so at first t I thought I was looking at a real dog (a very composed one 😏 ). I think the sculptor must be a true dog lover .
A lot of old trees have fallen into the lake making nice perches for birds and turtles. These ducks were sharing this one in amiable silence.
For a few weeks now, I’ve noticed that some plants and trees are beginning to show a change of colour. This small plant was a typical example. It’s still in the mid-30’s C but time marches on.
As summer winds down I especially enjoy walks by the river. The local flowers are beginning to fade but the sunflowers are still bright and dance in the wind alongside the grasses.
I caught these geese in a quiet moment. Canada Geese can be very elegant birds, especially when they’re not acting up or messing up. 😏
In the heat of the day, this female wood duck found a quiet spot for a nap.
You know what they say about the early bird…
It’s been so hot and muggy lately but this dog doesn’t seem to mind a bit 😊
This was my first sighting of a clouded sulphur this summer although they are among the most common and widespread of North American butterflies. At their brightest they’re as yellow as sulphur which is how they got their name.
I’ve seen several swallowtail butterflies this summer. This one was the first to stay still long enough for me to photograph.
This caught my eye as I was walking along. I was hoping to see some butterflies in the neighbouring gardens but caught sight of this rooster instead.
We’re not the only ones who seek the shade on these hot summer days. It can make for some challenging photography.
You have to marvel at their technique 😊
I tend to see wood ducks in small groups or swimming off on their own. They do mingle with other ducks but tend to be quieter types.
Frogs seem to wear a world-weary expression. Despite that they always make me smile 😊
It’s easy to see how this dragonfly got its name. It’s colours are festive and it has the habit of perching on tall grass where its wings catch the breeze like a flag or pennant would.
We had driven to a spot outside the city hoping to photograph some birds. It was a quiet day with little around but we did see this cormorant. We watched him fish for a while (with no luck) but he did put on a nice display as he dried his feathers.
I had heard some frogs in the water so I was surprised to see this one sitting in the shade of some trees. It seems they are quite happy to forage on land and shelter there as well. It was such a hot day, this one might have just wanted to get out of the sun.
The sparrow looked like it just had a dip in the nearby pond and found a place to dry off. The temperature has gotten very hot again so I imagine it was enjoying the coolness.
Butterflies have been pretty scarce this summer, so I was very pleased to see a monarch. It flew between the clover and made itself visible for quite a while.
Sunflowers are such cheerful looking flowers. These flowers were practically beaming at me as I walked up to them.
This is the second silver-spotted skipper I’ve seen recently. When I did get a clear shot, it was flying off but did display some of the silver that it’s known for.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 