Life on campus – Vanderbilt University

April 28, 2014 by Created by RCW

I took my camera with me when I attended the Nashville Film Festival and wandered the grassy lanes of nearby Vanderbilt University.

These are some of the plants and animals I found on campus.

: Each droplet reflecting the university around it

: Not quite successful in making himself invisible during his raid

: Waving like so many bells peeling silently on the breeze

: A noisy cardinal finds a hot dog bun wedged in a tree

: The dampness of Spring meant moss grew everywhere

: A bit of Canadian flavouring on a dewy morn

: Reproductive splendor decorated the craggy old limbs

: Not exactly sure what she was expecting, but she was attentive

Colours

September 30, 2013 by Created by RCW

Words are superfluous

Local critters – Toronto

September 28, 2013 by Created by RCW

More images from my recent foray through the neighbourhood…including someone prepping for dinner.

: Was trying to get some nice colour in the background

: Never could manage to get the focus right as the wind blew the web back and forth

: Such magnificence on a simple petal

: But this was definitely the better angle for details

: Didn’t even see the lady bug when I lined up the shot

: No actual critters, but loved the prism effect in the bright sunshine

: Bees are holding strong as the weather changes

: First time I’ve ever managed a photo of a spider prepping dinner

Fall butterfly flurry

September 24, 2013 by Created by RCW

Looks like the butterflies have decided to take one more stab at Summer 2013 in Toronto, even if Autumn officially started this past weekend.

: Doing his own version of the bat signal

: Flitting from flower to flower on a sunny day

: Sunning himself in the shadow of a chain-link fence

: Cooler weather means more time resting in the sun

: Checking out some late blossoms

: Little guy decides to rest on a wooden fence rail

: Clinging wrong to spread the wings fully

: Peering through purple poseys

Never surrender (summer)

September 17, 2013 by Created by RCW

Even as the overnight temperatures in Toronto reach the mid-single digits Celsius (about 40 F), a few die-hards–human, animal and vegetable–have refused to give up on the beach.

: A lone gull skirts the water as the Scarborough Bluffs rise in the distance

: Buried in the greenery, a grasshopper takes a rest

: Flowers brighten the sidewalk

: A sparrow grabs a bit of sun and seed

: Framed by nature, the sailboat catches the breeze

: A wader dares the waters of Lake Ontario, sandals in hand

: A handful of wasps (hornets?) latch onto the last flowers of summer

: A monarch stands bright orange against the sand

: As the milkweed prepare to explode their seed, a snail and lady bug rest

: A bumble and hornet visit the same hangout

: A yellow rose gives one last burst of glory

Not yet, autumn

September 15, 2013 by Created by RCW

As the air turns chilly in Toronto and cloud obscures the sun, a last reminder of some of the botanic splendour from this past summer.

: I can see where people get the idea of plants as predators

: The twin icons of a once whole trunk

: A beautiful rose awaits its final bloom

: Like fractals, the stars were made of stars

: The yellow of the petals seemed to glow

: Berries awaiting a dining insect, bird or mammal to spread their seed

Ins-EX-ts

September 5, 2013 by Created by RCW

Some of the critters I met while wandering the side streets and gardens of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).

: Another new bee for my photo collection

: Not sure why the piggy back…don’t think it’s the typical excuse

: Still can’t figure out how those wings get that bee into the air

: Not too much longer before even the thistles stop blooming

: A little lady bug walks on the underside

: Tried to blue it up a little, but it just got muddier

: Only the second monarch I’ve captured this year

Plant one on me

August 10, 2013 by Created by RCW

While I am addicted to the kingdom Animalia, I must admit to an expanding appreciation for plants.

There is a certain elegant simplicity at their most superficial that masks a magnificent complexity within. While typically more stationary than most animals, aside from the odd breeze, these biologic wonders seem to be more than capable of a vivacity that borders on personality.

I appreciate that I am romanticizing them, but how can you look at the following images and not think that there is something going on. And it’s not the photographer’s talent. They are spectacular, I just captured the spectacle.

: The variegation on the fruit drew me

: There was no murmuring or whispering as in all the books

: The way the shadows danced across the bright petals was magical

: The branch reached to the sky, its leaves embracing the breeze

: Look, ma. No bees in this photo!

Botanical beach bounty

July 25, 2013 by Created by RCW

A few of the amazing flowers and plants I discovered on my recent walk along the boardwalks and parks in my neighbourhood. (Don’t worry, more bees on the horizon.)