Tag Archives: nature
Winding woods
Taking a mini-vacation and so started with a slow wander through a wooded ravine near home.
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- The manicured trail parallels a small creek
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- Two small moths align on a leaf
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- A collection of berries peek through the fence grating
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- A group of sparrows flock around a small eddy in a creek
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- The spider waits patiently in his fence post lair
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- Yellow was the colour of the week, it seems
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- Wasn’t expecting the flock to take off so suddenly
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- A wasp gathers mud, for a nest, no doubt
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- Stretching its legs between rests
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- Quite willing to have his photo taken
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- Some of the bees struggled to fly they were so laden with pollen
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- The wasp picks at the goldenrod flowers
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- I was his lunchtime entertainment
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- Birds are blurry, but I was after the ripple effect
In-sects
Having spent a day photographing bugs and other creatures outdoors, I was surprised to find while sweeping the hallway (a surprise unto itself) that I was witness to a battle for life.
Thus, I present the inside insects (arachnids) or in-sects.
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- As I swept, I dislodged the little spider, which was immediately set upon by this millipede-like creature
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- Hard to tell how the spider is fairing in this fight, but I’m not holding out hope
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- I’m not certain, but I think the small specs above this spider are baby spiders
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- What goes around comes around…and what came around this spider was an unsuspecting sow bug
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- Pretty obvious who’s going to win this battle
Park near home – Part Two
And the further adventures of a man with a camera…and a supermoon-lit night.
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- I like the contrast with the yellow flowers behind
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- The blue background was a perfect contrast for the flower
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- Don’t strain your eyes…just liked the noise of the underbrush
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- The afternoon sun had these guys quite active
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- The reds seem to hide in the tall grass
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- This bee wastes little time on individual flowers
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- Stopping for a quick nosh, the yellow moth rarely rested
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- The supermoon is extra bright tonight
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- People dot the beach trying to get a photo of the moon
Park near home – Part One
That is, a park near home…not a request that you park your car near your home.
No special reason for these photos (and the next batch) other than I needed some exercise.
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- Red-winged blackbird munches on a beetle
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- A largely unused gazebo centres the park
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- These flowers almost seem candied the colours are so rich
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- Could never get the male to stay with the female cardinal
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- Simple fountain spews up in the middle of the park
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- Didn’t see the fly until I worked on the image
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- This little wasp almost appears to be two creatures she thins so
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- This one followed me for some time to make sure I left the area
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- This is a new bee species for me…seems related to bumble
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- I had wondered if I would see any amphibious activity
Gone buggy
Another beautiful Friday afternoon in my neighbourhood means another day to haul the camera out .
A few exo-skeletoned flappers from Toronto’s The Beaches district.
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- These lollipop-like flowers were all the rage today
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- The bee would flit from ball to ball
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- Could watch these guys harvest all day
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- These butterflies just refuse to rest
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- Must be the only one who walks toward bees, wasps and hornets
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- Only ladybug of the day
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- A wrestling match of sorts
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- Until one of the bees let go and fell away
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- Finally, he stopped to display his lovely colours
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- Between bright sun and yellow plastic, this spider was aglow
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- The bumble almost fit completely within these flowers
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- Hard to get good contrast on this image but liked the combination
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- Goofing with my b/w-colour game
A spot of colour in a B/W world
Oh no! I discovered a new toy…well, new to me.
Using Lightbox, I’ve learned how to convert a photo to black & white and then return to the colour to one or more component of the photo.
And now I’m distracted all to hell. And worse, a friend has a shopping list of images she wants for her apartment.
So, if you don’t hear from me for a while, at least you’ll know why.
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- In the park near the beach
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- Just peeking through
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- Red nose from the jazz festival last weekend
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- From my front garden
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- My mom’s dog and its pink tongue
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- On the beach near my apartment
PS Who knew all those colouring books would come in handy!?
Day at the Beach – Not Feathers
Birds seemed to be my primary focus on Sunday while I wandered the boardwalk in the east end of Toronto.
Today, it is the grand compilation of everybody else.
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- I wanted the boat to be clear, but I now think I prefer it this way
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- Every year I see new and wonderful insects in the area…going to have to look this guy up
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- These roses have become like wildflowers around the city
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- For the clink of coin, this guy will probably play Jailhouse Rock
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- Squirrels are like pigeons with fur in Toronto…but cuter
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- This pup gamely went out time after time when his owner couldn’t manage to hold onto the ball
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- The flies were out in force today, but can you fault anyone who likes roses?
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- The wind was high and so was the kite, which threatened to pull him off his feet
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- A couple ants were tending their flower bed
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- The island airport (Billy Bishop) is not far from my home
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- This was my first wild rabbit in the city…almost missed him, he was so small
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- It would seem snails believe nutrition remains in other’s leavings.
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- My beloved city skyline framed
See also: Day at the Beach – Feathers
Day at the Beach – Feathers
So, despite some early morning rain, Sunday ended up being a beautiful hot day in Toronto. And where better to spend such a day than wandering the boardwalk along Lake Ontario in the east end of the city.
At first, I wondered where the hell everyone was…the beach was almost deserted. Had traffic and construction finally gotten the better of everyone? And then it dawned on me: World Cup!
The day got that much more beautiful.
I’ll have another set of photos tomorrow, but here are some images of the birds that came out to play. Not all are technically wonderful photos…mostly a sign of how bright it was, how far off the birds were and/or how much I still have to learn about using my camera.
Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.
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- Before dining on popcorn, this little beauty checks the photographer is cool
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- These little guys were having a high old time chasing each other in the dead tree
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- I like catching birds in flight, if I can…this was the best of the gulls
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- Less hip-hop and just coming into his colourful plumage
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- After morning rains, a deep puddle makes a good starling bath
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- A male sparrow makes the most of someone’s lost popcorn kernels
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- My camera struggled to focus on these swift moving guys
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- Too graceful for gulls, these snow geese flapped in the far, far distance
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- After shepherding the kids, mom needed to stretch
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- Feathered environmentalists, the starlings share their bath water
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- A young starling lets his momma know that it’s lunch time
See also: Day at the Beach – Not Feathers
Meanwhile, in BC – Campbell River, Qualicum Beach
The final batch of photos from my brief vacation on Canada’s west coast…in this case, from a Canada Day trip up Vancouver Island to Campbell River and around my mom’s house above Qualicum Beach.
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- Man no doubt wonders what we’ve done to his homeland
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- A bee burrows deep to fill his pollen quota
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- Apparently, dogs AND cars must be on a leash at all times
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- Not a fan of having his picture taken, he slinks away
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- Crossing the remnants of an old ship yard and slip-way
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- A bee hangs carefully from the flower
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- Scared by the dog, a treed grouse watches us closely
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- Tip-toeing through the daisies
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- On the hottest of days, the local peaks still retain their white caps
See also photos of: Fort Langley/Harrison Hot Springs; Chilliwack; Nanaimo Region; Canada Day bombast
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