There are a lot of cardinals in my neighbourhood. This one picked a nice spot to land.
Tag Archives: Urban Landscape
Anticipation
A little kid was playing in the park and left his bike close by for the return trip. At first I thought the helmut in the photo was a large ball. I don’t know how little children keep their balance wearing such huge things on their heads 😏.
Late Summer -2
September has been a beautiful month. Summer isn’t leaving quietly.
So that’s what they call it
When squirrels (and other animals) lie spread out like this it’s called splooting. It helps them cool off or relax. I’ve often seen squirrels do this on a hot day and this one was no exception.
Seen on a Walk
This small section of a landing caught my eye, I love old brick.
Late Summer
The flower had faded but the sun still made it glow.
Turn, Turn, Turn
The temperature is getting a bit cooler, so city walks are becoming more comfortable. It’s beginning to look more like fall, the trees are berry laden and their leaves are no longer a vibrant green. I enjoy watching and photographing these changes.
Swirls
I believe this is a tendril of a wild grapevine that was hanging over the path I was walking. I liked its twirls and swirls.
Late Summer Scenes
The dominant garden colour now is a golden yellow, sunflowers and goldenrod taking centre stage.
Delightful Dahlia
I particularly like this colour and the flower wears it well.
The Prize
The light was tricky here. The squirrel was in such deep shadow I was surprised I saw it. Spot metering and post-processing got these results.
It’s all relative
Both knapweed and daisy fleabane are members of the aster family. I saw these flowers growing in an empty lot. They’re invasive and crowd out native plants but in their defensive, pollinators like them and they’re very attractive.
Attention!
The robin assumed a miliary stance and looked ready to give orders rather than take them 😏. We’ve seen a lot of robins throughout the spring and summer. Their expressions can be very funny and they aren’t timid birds which allows for mamy photo opportunities.
Wearing Stripes
I caught a glimpse of the garden through the Porcupine Grass. An interesting plant tthat I’ve never noticed before. Too bad I didn’t see its namesake too😏
Squirrely Saturday
Walking along the path, I came across this squirrel starring in my direction. Maybe he was about to hide some food and I interrupted hm.
Breaking the Rules
I didn’t crop the photo because I wanted to keep all of the background. No rule of thirds here although the flower isn’t quite centred. I only noticed the aphids on the flower’s stem when I imported the photo. A lot of aphids but no ladybugs 😏
Seen on a Walk
This classic wagon looks like its been repurposed as a garden planter. In 1930, the owner of Radio Steel & Manufacturing named the wagon Radio Flyer to honour the era’s advances in communication and aviation. Over the years, a lot of kids have played with or been pulled along in these little wagons.
Sunflower
A part of town has gardens full of sunflowers. I wanted to get there before the season was over. Many had begun to fade but this flower really stood out. I have never captured the disc of a sunflower at quite this angle before, it appeared almost three dimensional.
Buttercups
I love buttercups but they can be tricky to photograph with their glossy petals. I imagine a lot of you will remember the “chin game” we played as kids with buttercups!
White and Gold
I really like Queen Annes’s Lace and feature it here throughout the summer. We’re entering the final leg of summer though when goldenroad begins to appear (the yellow flower in the background).
Razzle Dazzle -2
Another coneflower, I think I might have found my new favourite, the Sombrero Adobe Orange. Until this summer I wasn’t aware of this variety 😊.
Eastern Cottontail
I stopped to chat with a neighbour the other day and asked her if she had seen many bees in her garden. Not too many, she said but plenty of rabbits. On our walk today we came across this young cottontail who seemed to be enjoying the flowers. I wished it had turned in my direction but it still gave me some good photo opportunities.
Razzle Dazzle
It’s the time for coneflowers now, they really do dazzle.
No fliers
The front porch was still in deep shade but the sun caught a bit of the plant as it made its way across the sky. (My title was borrowed from the mailbox 😏 .)
Part of the Landscape
In the past you rarely saw ravens in the city but they’re here now, an hospitable environment for these birds. You often hear their deep “gronk” call as you walk along, both summer and winter. Although considered aggressive they are often mobbed by smaller birds protecting their nests.
Light and Dark
A little fun with spot metering.
Queen Anne’s Lace
Queen Anne’s Lace is one of my favourite wildflowers. We were walking beside a vacant lot that had hundreds of these flowers in different stages of development. Here are two examples.
Chipping Sparrows
I featured this chick and an adult chipping sparrow on a post a few days ago. Here are a few more photos.
Summer’s Palette
The fiery orange of the day lilies mirrors the current temperatures.
On the otherhand, cosmos are the lily’s cooler cousin.
Bird on a Mirror
When the robin landed on the car mirror I expected it to turn around and catch its own reflection. It didn’t, at least not while I was watching. I’m glad it wasn’t my car as birds can make quite a mess perched like this.
Lacey
I wasn’t the only one to take an interest in these plants. They were growing on the side of the road and not getting munched on in someone’s garden 😏.
Chipping Sparrow
This is the first of several photos I took of a chipping sparrow. The star of the show is this very young bird who appears to be taking his first walk with Dad; actually he hopped 😊. You never know what you’ll see on a walk in the neighbourhood!
Just a little further…
It’s a hot day in the nation’s capital. Happy Canada Day!
Daisy, Daisy
Daisies are such cheerful looking flowers. I caught these swaying in the breeze.
Table for One
The chipmunk found a quiet spot to have a snack. It was aware of me but didn’t seem to mind and just kept on eating.
That’s All, Folks
While crossing the street the other day, I saw a blurred shape run by on the nearby sidewalk. Luckily for me the cottontail stopped for a minute on the grass and then quickly took off again. I managed to get these two photographs.
June Colours
A quick walk around the block provided a nice colourful garden mix and even a glimpse of a stork (at least the nearest I’ll get to one around here 😏).
Cardinal
We’re lucky to see and hear a lot of cardinals in our neighbourhood. Although we still live in the city, it’s greener and quieter than where we used to live and it’s rare not to hear bird song early morning and throughout the day.
Greetings, Earthlings
These seed heads could have easily featured in a classic science fiction movie 😊. I believe they are the seed heads of the Pasqueflower and a member of the buttercup family.
In the Spotlight
A good part of the garden was still in the shade but not this poppy that appeared to be basking in the sunshine.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 