I took this photo in October of last year. I’m not sure if this is a female goldfinch or a male in non breeding colours. Either way, an attractive bird in a thoughtful pose.
GOLDFINCH IN FALL
Tag Archives: Photos
CHIPMUNK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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 😊.
OCTOBER WOOD DUCKS
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 😏.
GENTLE FALL
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.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
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.
SOUTHWARD BOUND
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.
GREEN HERON
I watched as the green heron carefully scanned the water looking for a passing fish. It watched, it patrolled, and waited some more. All the herons I’ve photographed are the most patient of fishermen, more patient than this photographer. I took some photos and left the bird as I continued my walk.
A LOOK BACK
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.
PILEATED WOODPECKER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I usually see pileated woodpeckers high up in the trees, rarely on the ground. As we were walking along we came across this bird excavating the bark of a fallen tree. It must have been full of insects because he continued on long after we had taken our fill of photographs and moved on.
MALE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
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.
LATE FALL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
FALL CROCUS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I was surprised to see these crocus growing in a friend’s garden. It’s a flower I thought only grew in the spring, often pushing through the melting snow. For a second there I thought we had skipped winter and gone directly into spring 😏.
METALLIC BEE
The metallic bee goes by several names, the least attractive being sweat bee which doesn’t do it justice. This one is a female, as its able to carry pollen on its back legs, the male is not. Their season is drawing to a close so it was nice to catch sight of just one more this year.
CHIPMUNK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
FALL DUCK
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.
AROUND THE CORNER
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 (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
LEOPARD FROG
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.
LATE SUMMER FLOWERS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Most flowers are not as vibrant as they were earlier in the summer but they still hold a special beauty.
GIANT SWALLOWTAIL
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.
LATE SUMMER IN THE GARDEN
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.
MOURNING DOVE
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.
CARDINALS CHILLING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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. 😊
BUDDIES
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.
MUSKRAT
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.
OWL AND THE CHICKADEE
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.
FEMALE MALLARD (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
ORANGE HAWKWEED
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!
OVER THE FENCE (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
A lot of old homes in my neighbourhood have wrought iron fences with flowers peaking through the gaps. The grass is always greener…
PATTERNS IN NATURE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
MUSKRAT
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.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE
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.
SMALL TOWN (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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 (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
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.
HAIRY WOODPECKER
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.
HUMMINGBIRD MOTH (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
A gardener friend introduced me to these insects a few years ago. She had seen a hummingbird moth at a nursery and I joined her the next time she went. I saw one that day and most summers since. Hovering as they go from flower to flower they do live up to their name.
LADY BUG
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.
LEOPARD FROG
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.
MALLARD DUCKLING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
This duckling was curious about its surroundings, while the rest of the brood were more interested in eating. Not the best of backgrounds but the duckling made up for it.
POPPIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I hadn’t remembered taking this mauve poppy last year and found it when I was searching for a photo to post. I still prefer red poppies but the mauve has a delicate beauty all its own.
