I haven’t taken too many grasshoppers. If you manage to scare one up when walking along and see where it lands, you have a chance at a photo. That’s why this shot was particularly lucky. I came across these two when focusing on something else in the grass and saw them frozen on the stalk.
The first flower is wearing its Halloween colours, The second still has a petal or two but my eye was attracted by its intricate centre. You might have to look a little longer for flower subjects at this point in the fall but they’re out there.
More chipmunk photographs from earlier this summer. With the colder weather setting in I hope this chipmunk has a good cache of nuts set aside. Judging by those cheeks I think he must have 😊.
I took this photo last October. I haven’t been back to this reserve since then but imagine the wood ducks are about to head south once again. Their travel has not been affected this year. Lucky ducks 😏.
This part of the trail is closely packed with undergrowth. The maple leaf’s fall was broken by a nearby stem. I enjoy finding these minor players in the bigger fall show.
The nuthatch was creeping along the tree trunk, struck a typical pose and then was off. These birds are constantly on the move so I was pleased to get this photo before it flew away.
I saw this white-throated sparrow last October. Although many remain in North America during the winter, given our cold climate, I believe this one was just passing through on its way south. There was plenty for it to eat on this warm fall day.
Summer has just ended but I already miss sights like these. There are still a few bees and flowers about but their numbers are dwindling as the temperature drops.
Although quite common, I’ve only seen a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker once, a few years ago. They are fairly small and beautifully patterned woodpeckers. We heard the bird hammering away at a tree and followed the sound. It was busy feeding and wasn’t at all bothered by our presence.
We are very lucky to live in a climate where we’re treated to the changing seasons. The trees are beginning to make dazzling displays. As colourful as they are right now, I find them interesting subjects and still beautiful as they begin to fade and show the effects of time.
I think this was a young chipmunk as it stayed quite close and watched me as I took some photographs of him. Young animals seem quite curious, this one was. I hope it grows up quickly because there’s a lot of danger lurking nearby.
This is another photo taken late last fall. The water has a flat murky look and the only real colour is the mallard which also looks a bit muted in tone and expression.
This photo was taken late last October. I remember being surprised at how green the leaf was while the rest of the landscape looked like the frost had done its work. Although it’s still summer here I know that scenes like this aren’t far off.
The Elphin is an iconic 1960s apartment building in Ottawa. The building had all the amenities of the day, including a darkroom for camera enthusiasts. The Elphin with its namesake elf and look retains a charm lost by the modern glass towers nearby.
We were both heading in the same direction when the frog suddenly jumped as I approached. I only got this one shot and was pleased with the natural vignette.
Most flowers are not as vibrant as they were earlier in the summer but they still hold a special beauty.
The swallowtail was flitting from flower to flower when I caught it in flight looking my way. It lingered for quite a while and so did I.
A took this photograph in a friend’s garden in mid-August. She told me its name which I’ve forgotten but I believe it’s a member of the orchid family. A summer beauty.
It was nice to catch the mourning dove tilting its head. I thought it made for a more interesting photo. I learned that they exist in large numbers and are prolific breeders which is a good thing, as they’re heavily hunted in North America. Their name is derived from their rather plaintive call.
Different male cardinals, photographed on the same day. Both birds are moulting although the first bird looks somewhat rougher than the second. I took these photos last year about this time. The breeding season is now past, food is plentiful and even the birds get to chill for a bit. 😊
These mallards were enjoying a quiet swim away from the noisy raft of ducks closer to shore. This was another image from last fall that I found on an old memory card.
You can see how the muskrat got its name. It has quite the tail. Like the beaver the muskrat uses its tail as a rudder and slaps it when it senses danger. They are terrific swimmers and when they dive it’s difficult to determine where they will resurface.
The woods were quiet, no squirrels about. This usually means there’s an owl or hawk nearby. Sure enough we saw this Screech Owl comfortably perched in the cavity of a tree. What did surprise me was the agitated chickadee flying close to the dozing owl. Brave or reckless, I couldn’t decide.
I was looking at some Queen Anne’s Lace in the garden and saw this single flower off to the side. It seemed to be floating, suspended in mid air. A little garden gem.
I found this image on a memory card that was in a camera I hadn’t picked up in months. It was like finding something you had forgotten about in a coat pocket. The cooler days aren’t here yet but scenes like these are fast approaching.
It’s been a very hot dry summer. After just a bit of rain, a few mushrooms are starting to appear. I spotted these two in deep shade. Even at ISO 1000 my depth of field was a bit narrow. This rather ordinary subject is always challenging fun.
I took these photos from a floating bridge. I was using a long lens, the duck was close by and I couldn’t put much distance between me and the duck. I would have liked more but you can’t really go wrong with a subject like this.
Yesterday was the first time I’ve picked up a camera in a long while. We spent the morning with friends in their wonderful garden. As we walked and talked I took a couple of photos. I was pretty pleased with the results, and was happy to see that I could still shoot a moving object. 😊
Orange hawkweed is considered a weed but it produces a lovely flower and it grows just about anywhere. It’s also favoured by honeybees so it can’t be all bad!
A lot of old homes in my neighbourhood have wrought iron fences with flowers peaking through the gaps. The grass is always greener…
I liked the crisp green and white of the leaves. Though each leaf is distinctive, together they form an interesting whole. A bit of controlled chaos.
I haven’t returned to the reserve where this was taken at all this year. There are just too many people. In looking through my folders, I came upon this photo I took a few years ago. We usually see a few muskrats each summer and that year was no exception. They can be tricky subjects as their wet fur often reflects odd colours.
Canada Geese can be elegant in the water and a different bird on land where you have to approach them with care. They can be territorial during breeding season, with their young and after they’ve been feeding, you have to watch your step. On the water they can be quite different, languid and graceful.
I feature chickadees quite often. They’re seen frequently and are always up for a photograph. You have to be quick though because they don’t sit still very long.
On a road trip last summer, we stopped in a small town to take a break and look around. We saw this abandoned factory just before we drove into the town centre. These forlorn looking buildings just ask to be photographed. The building in the second photo might have had an occupant, as a lace curtain hung in the bottom window.
Painted turtles always look grumpy. In doing a bit of reading, I’ve discovered that they are a species of Special Concern here in Ontario. Cars and habitat loss are their main threats. Painted turtles are also slow to mature and only lay a small clutch of eggs. If just a few die the whole turtle population can be impacted. I now see why they look so grumpy.
I enjoy taking shots of mimic flies. They are cute subjects and well worth the challenge of photographing something so small. This fly was playing king of the castle on top of the wild grass.
It was a cloudy day and the woodpecker was well off the path. I chose to do little to edit the photo as I liked the mood created by the overcast day and the tree branches in the background.
This little beetle is always on the move which makes taking their photo a bit of a sport. If you see one on a plant, wait a minute and you’ll probably see a few more. A good thing too, as it means you get more than one chance to take a photo.
This must be a young one, as I’ve never seen a leopard frog this tiny before. It was nestled comfortably and remained on the vegetation as I took the photo.
