I was spending some time chatting with my mom and dad in the sunroom when my dad spotted them.
Birds of a Feather
He had spotted a pair of mourning doves sitting on the plum tree branch just outside the window.
Mourning Dove
I took this photo of one of them as they were enjoying the warm rays of the sun.
I’m back at the Humber River Recreational Trail today and I’m hoping to find something a little more interesting than I did last week.
Mallard
I was greeted again by the mallard as I came onto the trail. Maybe I should give him a name so I can greet him next time?
Canada Goose
Canada Goose was not to be outdone, so he ambled up to say “hi” as well.
Cooper’s Hawk
I had a surprise visitor when I headed up the trail on the Humber campus grounds. This gorgeous Cooper’s Hawk was a little too far away for a great photo but I was more than happy to get some shots before he flew away.
Today I headed out to Claireville to take photos at the feeders just off the main trail/road.
The Old Bridge
I had to get some shots of the bridge. It’s one of the more interesting things to photograph here in Claireville. The shadows from the late day sun from vines and the other side give this photo a lot of character.
Posing
At the feeder, the nuthatches were flying back and forth getting their food for the day.
Grabbing a Snack
They are even willing to land on your hand if you have some seeds to share with them.
I had a lot of fun getting photos of the birds and always look forward to the cold temps when it’s okay to feed them like this. In summer they are too busy to be bothered with us and our seeds when there is so much more to eat.
Today I met my friend Nigel over at Claireville Conservation Area for a late afternoon walk. We found a couple of bird feeders nestled into some trees on a side path so we stopped to take a few photographs.
Chickadee
The Chickadees are always around the feeders so it was nice to be visited by the Red-breasted Nuthatch. We even got them to feed on our hands. It’s always a nice feeling when a bird trusts you enough to land on your hand.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
I think I took at least 100 photos here. There was so much activity and with them flitting in and out of the feeders, a lot of those images went straight to the trash. Luckily, I had a few keepers from the visit.
The sun finally broke through the clouds for the first time in days, and I decided I needed to get out of the house for some fresh air. Walking a different route from the last time I was out, I headed to the schoolyard to find some inspiration.
Common Reed
In a marshy area at the bottom of the hill, there is a tall group of reeds. In the summer months, red-winged blackbirds love this area. They are a great subject to photograph when the sky is nicely lit like it was this afternoon.
Fern Leaf
Just up by the hill, I found a fuzzy green fern with some ice and water droplets on it. I focused on only one of the leaves so that the droplets were nice and sharp. When I was processing the photo I wanted to take out the colour so that focus remained only on that one leaf.
Male Cardinal
When I crossed over the road and onto my usual path by the creek, I spotted a pair of cardinals. They were playing hide and seek in the trees so getting a clear shot was tough. This is the best I could get before they flew away. Maybe next time they won’t be as shy.