I took this photo in June a few years ago. The black-crowned night heron was in fine breeding plumage but it looked like he hadn’t quite finished grooming.
Tag Archives: Photography
A BIT ROUGH
I took this photo in late September when the Cardinal hadn’t finished moulting. He’ll need those head feathers now given the cold temperatures!
SOMETHING TO QUACK ABOUT
Happy Holidays!
PULL UP A CHAIR
There’s plenty to eat but I’m not sure if this squirrel is willing to share. 😏
CAT IN THE WINDOW
The cat in the window struck a regal pose, something they do so well. There are a lot of indoor cats in this downtown neighourhood. When the weather gets milder I’ll have to photograph more of them.
WORKING WITHOUT A NET
Chickadees are great little aerialists and quick. Always nice when one slows down long enough to take its picture.
COLD FEET
You’d think a duck’s feet would freeze standing on an icy pond. Unlike mammals, they regulate their bodies differently so that standing on an icy surface is almost like a walk in the park 😏
GOLDFINCH ON A THISTLE
The goldfinch landed on the thistle just as I was winding up my walk. Before long it began to feed on the plants’ seeds. I took a lot of photos as the bird didn’t seem to mind my being there. More to come…
FLASH OF COLOUR
This single poppy stood out among the other flowers in the garden so I gave it centre stage.
WHAT A DAY
This female wood duck was just scratching an itch but you could read more into her expression.
LAST OF THE SUNFLOWERS
These sunflowers were still in fine shape in late October. Our fall was relatively mild which gave the flowers longer to shine.
IN THE WEAVE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The wind had dislodged the abandoned nest but a limb had snagged it giving me a chance to admire its workmanship. Queen Anne’s Lace is also known as Bird’s Nest and I can see why.
SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT
Despite their reputation, crows have some positive qualities. They’re highly intelligent, consume waste and litter and if you see them flying in groups calling loudly, there’s a good chance that an owl is nearby. No owls this day but still a handsome crow,
BIG RED
Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in North America. We’re fortunate that they remain year round, On a grey winter day, seeing this lively colourful bird always brightens things up.
FLOWERS IN NOVEMBER
If I could choose I’d have the ground covered in flower petals rather than snow 😏.
BASHFUL
The chipmunk’s pose showed off his fine racing stripes 😊
BRIGHT SPOT
As winter approaches, the landscape becomes drab. This fine looking mallard added some much needed colour. A few resident ducks remain throughout the winter; close to shore the river remains open and they find a way to carry on.
Marvellous Mallards
I took this photograph one December day when the light was just right. The male’s head was the emerald green you see here, I didn’t enhance the colour.
ROCK ART
I didn’t see this rock art being created and I don’t know how long it had been standing. Someone had formed a circle with these balancing rocks which I rather liked.
QUIET SUNDAY – 2
Another scene taken on the weekend. The cormorants and gulls looked like board game pieces.
QUIET SUNDAY
A quiet Sunday by the river.
GARDEN VARIETY
Canada Geese are pretty commonplace. Not always welcome, they can be loud and messy but they still hold an appeal. Right now we see them in large V formations, heading south.
EASTERN PHOEBE
Eastern Phoebes migrate south between September and November, so this is probably the last one I’ll see until Spring. We enjoy them for only a short period so every sighting is a pleasure.
SCREECH OWL AND THE FOREST (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The screech owl I saw a few weeks ago is still around, It had changed trees and I had a different lens this time. I liked the wider shot below, but also cropped in close to give a better view of the owl.
PATTERNS ON THE SHORE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
On a walk by the river, I noticed the exposed roots of the old tree. They formed swirling patterns on the shoreline. They reminded me of the legs of some fantastic sea creature.
GREAT EGRET
I had few opportunities to photograph Great Egrets this summer but I did get a few chances. I hope to have more next year.
ALL SEASON FAVOURITE
We’re fortunate to see black-capped chickadees all year round. I’m always amazed at how a bird so tiny can survive our winters!
FALL FASHION (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
In the first photo, I wanted to fill the frame with colour, you can barely see the sky for the leaves. I concentrated on a single leaf in the second shot and didn’t notice the crab spider in the lower right of the image until I imported it.
UNEXPECTED
On a walk last week, hoping to take some landscapes, I noticed this pretty bunch of daisies. As I moved closer I saw this wasp-like insect as well as a number of bees on the flowers. I didn’t have an ideal lens for insects but I took a couple of photos anyway. I imagine one of my last insect photos this year.
MOVING ON
Summer has been working on its fall project for months. Scenes like this make me miss summer a bit less.
GONE TO SEED (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I enjoy photographing the seed heads of Queen Anne’s Lace. Their structure is a delicate marvel.
COMMUNITY (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We have quite a few Community Gardens in the city. I saw these flowers growing next to a vegetable patch. Their bold colours caught the sun rather nicely.
SIMPLY RED
This red squirrel blends in very well to his environment, particularly in fall.
AMERICAN WIGEON
Another wigeon photo I took one November day. It looked like he was enjoying his greens 😏.
STREET REFLECTIONS
I liked the colour and the slight distortion of the street scene reflected in the glass.
ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU
I saw this Labrador Retriever one day on a walk. He wasn’t bothered by me or my camera, never so much as barked as I took a few shots. Too busy watching his owner at the foot of the driveway.
SEASON DRAWING DOWN
This scene was taken on a late fall day a few years ago but today’s cold wind is a hint of what’s to come. The wood ducks hold on until the first frost, so they’ll be around for a bit longer.
EASTERN SCREECH OWL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We took a walk recently along the edges of a local reserve; we haven’t walked its trails since Covid struck, the place is packed with people. The crowds must have driven this eastern screech owl out of the park and close to where we were walking. We’ve only seen these owls in daylight and usually looking half asleep 😏 .
STARLING
European starlings have a bad reputation – they can push native birds from nesting cavities, damage crops and more. Yet, after a long winter, they’re one of the first birds to return and are attractive with their iridescent colouring. This individual looked pretty mellow.
BIRD BUDDIES
There were a lot of ring-billed gulls fishing on the river. These two immature birds took a time out.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 