The clouds looked like they held rain but it remained overcast. I like conditions like this, and the soft light worked in my favour.
Tag Archives: Photography(2)
CALM WATERS
The water on this stretch of river has the most beautiful reflections. My good luck that the mallard decided to take that route.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
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.
ROLLING IN THE DEEP
This is a young snapping turtle, mature snapping turtles are much larger and even less good looking 😏. I was standing on a viewing platform and just happened to glance down when the turtle swam silently by.
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.
MOVING ON
Summer has been working on its fall project for months. Scenes like this make me miss summer a bit less.
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.
STREET REFLECTIONS
I liked the colour and the slight distortion of the street scene reflected in the glass.
BIRD BUDDIES
There were a lot of ring-billed gulls fishing on the river. These two immature birds took a time out.
RING-BILLED GULL
I saw this young gull by the river and I liked the pose it struck. We normally see gulls in the city, congregating in groups. When they fly overhead, it’s wise to keep an eye on the sky 😏.
NATURAL EXUBERANCE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Seen on one of my neighbourhood walks.
DAHLIA AND FRIEND (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Summertime and so many flowers. Some bolder than others.
CITY BIRD
I thought the robin fit right in with its elegant surroundings.
CHANCE
The coneflowers caught the sun while most of the garden was still in shade. At a different time of the day the light would have been more balanced but then I don’t think the picture would have been as interesting.
ANOTHER BLACK-EYED SUSAN
These are rudbeckia, commonly known as black-eyed susans. I caught them as they danced on the breeze.
DON’T FENCE ME IN
I saw this bull dog in a small fenced in lawn. He turned away as I approached but I did get his handsome profile.
SUMMER COLOURS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Given our short summers, it’s not only the warm weather I enjoy but the variety of flowers that spring up throughout the season. It looks like the blanket flowers are having a party!
STANDOUT
I like these sunflower-like flowers. They bring the promise of sun and warmth and Summer! Insects love them too. I took this photo late in the season when the surrounding vegetation was starting to fade, making the flower stand out that much more.
INCH BY INCH (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
These old boxwood rulers with brass fittings were used to measure bolts of cloth and date back decades. Along with the bright yellow measuring tape, the rulers form the subjects of my second studio series.
FRAMED
The out of focus branches framed the chickadee nicely and also made him look like a little “jailbird”. He doesn’t look too happy about it 😏 .
HOLD ON
The goldfinch held on tight as the wind buffeted him about. I thought he’d fly off to a more sheltered spot but he held his ground. Lucky me.
UNDERSTATED (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The Canada Goose might not be Canada’s favourite export. They’re noisy, messy birds, and can be aggressive to both people and other geese when they feel threatened. However, they are quite elegant when you catch them in a pose like this.
GOSLINGS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The goslings in these photos are just starting out. I thought they were a good choice to ring in the new year. New beginnings, endless possibilities. Happy New Year!
FALL COLLECTION – 4 (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
This photo was taken in late October. I liked the contrasting shapes and colours of the flowers and leaves. There’s something very appealing about these fading flowers, beauty in their imperfection.
FEMALE WOOD DUCK
Standing on a platform looking out at the lake we saw this female wood duck doing the same. I rarely see a male wood duck on its own, the females seem to appreciate the quiet though. No chicks in sight, probably taking a break from it all.
SUMMER BREEZE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It’s a challenge to photograph flowers when the wind picks up a bit. Daisies can be seen in the fields and along roadsides everywhere right now. The goat’s beard is a less common wildflower and I’m always pleased to be able to photograph one.
BIKE STOP (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I liked this solitary bike leaning up against the fire escape of the old house. I kept walking around on the sidewalk until I got it and the house at an interesting angle. As much as I like the colour in the photo, I think the black and white version is better suited to the image.
A FINE MIX (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The Red or Canadian Columbine and Wood Poppy are wild flowers that grow in Eastern North America this time of year. I took these photos at the Wildlife Garden I mentioned in yesterday’s post. Between the birds and the flowers we’ll be visiting there as often as we can. We also stopped by our local nature reserve to see if it had reopened, it’s still closed due to high water levels. 😏
HAIRY WOODPECKER
This female hairy woodpecker was taken in a wildlife garden in the city. We saw more birds that one morning than I saw all of last spring. There was a feeder close by and the birds were taking turns at it. I waited for the bird to settle in a nearby tree and took this shot.
LOOKING UP
There are few things more pleasing than the colours of early summer. The ladybug was slowly making its way up the blade of grass. I watched it for a while before walking on. It’s a bit early yet for scenes like this but things are slowly coming into bloom; sunny days ahead.
SLOW SPRING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Circumstances have limited my chances for photography this spring but I did take these scenes mid April. I liked the colours and textures in the scene and the bit of new growth pushing through the hardscrabble soil. The weather is still quite cold and many parts of the country are experiencing severe flooding, so our favourite reserve close to the water is inaccessible.
SPLISH, SPLASH
This grackle was enjoying the fine weather and a solitary bath in the lake. Although a common bird, I think their good looks and intelligence raise them above the ordinary.
SPRUCED UP GOOSE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
No one is indifferent to Canada Geese. Noisy, messy and gregarious; I like them best in photos like these, looking kind of smart. Fall reflections are a definite asset too.
GREAT EGRET
It’s unusual to see an egret perched on a beaver lodge, normally we see them wading in the water or fishing. The bird stood there for quite a while and I managed to get him in several poses, the first of which is shown here. Most summers we see several egrets and herons in this one location, not last year. The lake was very high which must have made for challenging conditions. They likely found some easier spots to fish.
CEDAR WAXWING
Another sign of spring is the return of cedar waxwings. We usually see them in a group or ear-full (as they’re known collectively) but I only saw this one bird. It was nice to get him out in the open before the leaves were out.
BALE OF TURTLES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
There are several kinds of turtles in our waterways. These photos feature two of them – the painted turtle and the Blanding’s turtle, which has a domed shaped shell and bright yellow throat. It’s on the threatened species list so it’s pretty exciting when we see one.
HARDY DUCK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It’s been a long cold winter. The snow drifts are high beside the river. Mallards congregate here because this portion of the river is fast moving and doesn’t freeze. As we approached the river’s edge we fell in behind a man carrying a huge sack of cracked corn for the ducks. We stood back as the ducks mobbed the man. As we were leaving I saw this mallard a ways from the crowd and took this shot.
RING-BILLED GULL
The Ring-billed gull is the most common gull in North America and like many birds migrates south in the winter. I took this photograph in November. It was nice to see the bird in a natural setting as they often congregate in city parking lots. It perched on the log for quite a while where I could appreciate its good looks, something I had never really noticed before.
IT’S ALL RELATIVE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
This cute little rodent is a relative of the mouse and is commonly called a vole or field mouse. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen and I was able to take a number of photographs as he was unaware of or unconcerned by my presence. He might have been a young animal that had not yet developed a sense of fear. I watched him for a while and then left him to his ramble.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 