This wonderful mural by Ottawa artist Christopher Griffin, appears on the wall of a downtown building. It’s on a busy street, so I wonder how many people have seen it as they drive by. When I’m on foot I always stop to look at it and today I had my camera.
I liked this flower, one I don’t remember seeing before; its beauty a little unconventional.
I usually see grackles near water or in trees, so I was surprised to see this bird walking along in the grass. I know people with bird feeders tend to dislike grackles as they will bully the other birds. I like them though and admire their keen eye and good looks (they also keep the insect population down).
A typical summer scene. If only I could bottle its scent and colours for those dark days of winter.
To all those celebrating, Happy Canada Day!
Frequent viewers have likely noticed that I haven’t been featuring many birds lately. Sticking closer to home, sightings have been fewer – but then I stumbled upon this small pink flamingo. Not as rare as you might think in our urban environment 😏
The water on this stretch of river has the most beautiful reflections. My good luck that the mallard decided to take that route.
I featured a different variety of Salsify in one of my recent posts. Some are cultivated, others grow in the wild. I saw this one growing in a field with other wildflowers. Another elegant “weed”.
The daisies were growing among the wild grasses; a pretty combination.
I’ve only seen this colour of rose in one small corner lot garden. It’s their time to bloom and still some buds to come, so I’ll be back.
Hover flies or flower flies are valuable insects. The larvae of some species prey on aphids and the adults are pollinators. Until I picked up a camera I wasn’t aware of these attractive little insects. Now I look out for them each summer.
The sun struck the back of the chair and made it glow. I just had to take the photo. I was shooting with a 105mm lens (hoping for some insect photos that day) so I was pretty happy to get the shot.
This house is in a neighbourhood that is undergoing change. Many old homes sit side by side with new construction; some are being remodelled or torn down. For now, this old house still stands. Its beautiful wooden door contrasting nicely with the red brick.
The mallard had recently gotten out of the water and was drying off on the grass. I hesitated for a moment before I approached. It looked like a no nonsense duck!
I remember making flowers out of tissue paper when I was a young. Carefully separating and fanning the layers and securing them with a bobby pin. These tissue-like poppies reminded me of those flowers, particularly the slightly windblown ones to the right of the frame 😏
Sparks Street is a pedestrian mall in downtown Ottawa. It’s a mix of office towers, shops and restaurants. I liked the old fashioned sign and the chairs stacked up waiting for the Cocktail Hour.
Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers in North America. As they don’t migrate we get to enjoy them year round. They have some fast moves as they forage, it pays to have a steady hand 😏.
I took a lot of photos of this tree swallow but most were in very harsh light. I finally got this photo under better lighting conditions but the bird’s eye is not visible. Its beautiful feathers make up for that though.
I always find scenes like this pretty melancholy, however, the boots were in fairly decent shape and placed with care. Maybe the owner left them there for someone else to wear.
The wind was blowing these flowers about but I was determined to capture them as I didn’t know what kind of shape they’d be in next time I passed by. I took a lot of shots, constantly adjusting my speed and my position. I think it payed off.
I took this photo as the mallard was emerging from the river. The duck didn’t look too pleased by my presence 😏
I like to see robins strike this pose, stretching to their full height. It stopped feeding for a moment, looked around and then continued on.
Ottawa’s Centretown neighbourhood is a mix of the old and new. A lot of old houses and apartments have avoided the wrecker’s ball and are a source of much of my photography. The garden in the first photo is one I return to throughout the warmer months, I like its untended look. The elements in the balcony garden look carefully chosen, a little oasis in the city.
The black squirrels we see in Ontario are a subgroup of the Eastern Grey Squirrel but when I saw this squirrel with its unusual blond tail I thought the light was playing tricks on my eyes 😏. Another interesting discovery on a neighbourhood walk.
There’s just something about yellow flowers in springtime!
We found a new spot along the river this spring. It has a nice trail, few crowds and a fair amount of wildlife. One day last week I noticed some movement in the reeds and to my delight I saw this young beaver. The vegetation along the shore was thick so I had to wait a long while before I could get a clear shot. He looked like one contented beaver!
Despite the heat, I just felt cooler looking at the plant growing in the shade. Its common name is Bleeding Heart, not a name I would have chosen for such an attractive plant.
The shapes and colours of the budding maple reminded me of a fine drop earring; except its enjoyment comes at no cost.
This downy woodpecker is one of the first I’ve seen this spring. She appeared to be considering how to approach the job of searching for insects.
If you see a Red-winged Blackbird, it’s supposed to be a lucky sign. Given that they usher in Spring, I would have to agree!
I liked the effect the breeze had on the tulips, it almost looked like they were dancing.
In an older part of town many of the houses were built of brick. I liked the play of light and shadow on the red brick and the fringe of green the unopened tulips formed.
When I saw this beautiful tree I pointed my lens up to fill the frame. I believe it’s a Forsythia, if not please let me know. No doubt about the daffodil, an annual spring favourite.
The red brick made an attractive backdrop for this common pigeon. Often maligned, I thought this bird had presence.
After a long winter, the temperature is warming up! The ground is coming to life again and there’s something to savour everywhere you look.
Walking along the path, I happened to look up and saw a wood duck sitting on the branch of a tree. There’s a first time for everything 😊
I liked the frog’s pose but the background was too messy. I tried cleaning it up, without much success. In changing the crop I managed to remove most of the pond debris and was pleased with the outcome. It goes to show that in most things it pays to take a second look.
You can’t get much cuter than these goslings.
I took this Black-crowned Night Heron one day in May a few years ago. We’re having snow showers today. The early spring migrants must be wondering what’s up with this weather 😏
Not much spring colour yet so I thought I’d revisit fall when the leaves were putting on a fireworks show.
I took this photo earlier in the week at a wildlife garden I hadn’t been back to since the start of the Pandemic. I saw a few robins (photos coming up), a bit of new spring growth and this meadow scene that caught my eye.
You may have noticed that the Comments section was closed on my site for the last few days. It seems to be working again!
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 