Odd Ducks
I was out for another bike ride along the Humber river trail today and I found these funny little ducks swimming their way upstream, I had to stop and take a look. After a few shots I watched them for awhile before hey swam away, continuing on with their day. Still have no idea what kind of duck they are but I hope to see them again one day.
I discovered a new trail out in Caledon called the Alton Grange Trail. The trail is a short 4-kilometer loop that’s definitely on the easy side to hike. It’s a beautiful trail and one of my new favourites.
Alton Grange Trail
At the beginning of the trail, I was feeling all the forest vibes. Even the light was looking good, and it was only going to get better.
Tree in Ice
The trail crosses the Credit River, and I noticed this mossy tree lying in the water. I wanted to accentuate the length of the tree, so I shot from a lower position. The tree acted as a leading line to the trees in the background.
Forest Trail
My favourite image of the day was this forest trail. The light was so perfect, and I would not have noticed this image if I hadn’t turned to look back. I have to remind myself when I’m out on my hikes to remember to turn around. Today, I’m glad I did just that.
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.
In the summer, when I get out on my bike, I usually head for the Humber Recreational Trail. I’ve biked many hours here, and today I decided to head over to one of the sections to get my butt out of my regular neighbourhood.
Interlude
I headed to a section of the trail where there is a large pond. In the summer, you can usually find great blue herons and white egrets here, but with the cold weather, these birds head south. I did not find any other birds here, which in a way was lucky since I had only brought my macro lens with me. From one of the viewpoints on the pond, I saw a person by the water’s edge under a beautiful tree. I can’t say I was disappointed with this nice surprise as I quickly snapped a few photos.
The Trail
For the middle of winter, there is a lot of brown around us. We haven’t had snow since Christmas Day. This image above was quite bland when I started editing it. I wanted to give it a little spice, so I added some fog to the background and darkened up the foreground, giving it a little more atmosphere.
Incoming
As I crossed over the river on my way back to my car, a couple of ducks picked that same moment to came in for a landing. I was able to get a few shots as they came toward me. Only one photo was sharp, but that was all I needed. A very different walk than usual, but it was worth the short drive to see something different from my own backyard.
I met my friend Nigel at Meadowvale Conservation Area for a hike around the credit river. It was an overcast day but the place looked promising when we spotted a hawk in a nearby tree. We, of course, had the wrong lenses to capture an image of the hawk. The hawk didn’t stick around long so we headed onto the trail where we saw one more hawk. I swear, they were taunting us.
Credit River
There were some good views of the credit river from different spots along the trail.
Stormy Day
This spooky tree stood out against this section of the river. I tried a few different spots along the trail to photograph it but I liked this one the best. There is another trail in the other direction from the parking lot. We may have to try it out next time we head this way to see what surprises lie there. And maybe I’ll bring my long lens, just in case.