A Moment Of Thought
August 20th, 2009
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This fellow came along while I was photographing birds and flowers in Fletcher
Wildlife Garden's backyard garden. I've found cottontails difficult to capture
well in the past, mainly because of the kind of landscape they favor: grass
and more grass, or scrubby bushes. In this case, the land dropped off into a
wooded ravine maybe ten feet behind him, which gave the picture a nice feel of
depth.
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Butterfly, bird, blossoms
August 18th, 2009
I think perhaps I'll just sit here in the air conditioning for the next few
days and post photos from the backlog. Heat exhaustion is not fun.
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The wildflower, Blue Vervain, is native. The butterfly isn't. It's an
accidental European import called a "Cabbage White."
Another young Black-Crowned Night Heron, this time perched over the Deschenes
Rapids.
These pretty little forget-me-nots were growing in clusters by the Ottawa
River. I really felt the lack of a macro lens here. They were nearly too small
for me to properly capture with my usual (zoom) lens, and required a fair bit
of digital sharpening.
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Kingfisher Pair
August 17th, 2009
This
Belted
Kingfisher pair made for a nice series of pictures when they flew over Mud
Lake this afternoon. I'm still trying to get a decent perched shot of this
species, a common breeder at Ottawa's ponds and rivers.
The rusty color visible on the front bird in the second picture marks her as
female. This is perhaps a mated pair.
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One step in goldfinch nest construction
August 16th, 2009
American Goldfinches are the latest nesting birds in Ottawa. They get started
once most other birds have already raised and fledged young. Scientists are
uncertain as to the reason why they evolved this way. It may be because of
their dependence on thistle. Goldfinches love thistle, especially thistle gone
to seed--seeds they can eat, and thistledown to line their nests with.
They're strict vegetarians, mainly seed-itarians, which is unusual among
birds. Most at least feed insects to their young even if they're herbivorous
as adults. Goldfinch chicks grow up on seeds. A
cowbird chick hatched in a
goldfinch nest is out of luck. It won't survive on that diet for more than
three days.
Goldfinch nests are remarkably well-constructed. It's said that they can hold
water. Woven from plant fibers, lined with down, and reinforced with spider or
caterpillar web. Which brings me to this unusual set of pictures.
Note the tent caterpillar at bottom left! I wondered if she was stuck at
first, but she eventually managed to fly off with a piece of web--and she came
back for more later. Personally, I like knowing that even something as noxious
as webworms can be beneficial to someone.
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Creepy Crawlies
August 15th, 2009
T'was a snaily morning along the Rideau.
I call that one "the apartment complex."
I found these caterpillars at Mud Lake today, and at first, I actually
suspected that someone was putting me on. They didn't look like insects so
much as ornate tassels knitted out of colored yarn, hung one on either side of
a leaf to make a fool out of a nature photographer. But they were real.
They're Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars. Their fancy appearance is intended
as a warning to predators. Like monarch caterpillars, they are highly
poisonous (and for the same reason: both eat milkweed.)
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Young Wood Ducks
August 13th, 2009
At Riverain Park a number of Wood Ducks, mostly young Wood Ducks, have joined
the year-round Mallard flock. At places like that they follow the Mallards'
lead and come close to humans looking for handouts (Wood Ducks are normally
quite skittish). Thus, very photographable!
There were roughtly eight juveniles milling around, probably ones who grew up
on the Rideau, as well as a couple of adult females. No adult males, which is
typical for this time of year. They always seem to disappear in late summer,
probably gone somewhere secluded to molt their flight feathers. They'll be
back in force come September.
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The duck in the middle is a juvenile male, far enough along that his eyes have
turned red. The white and grey patterning on his cheek is the placeholder for
what will become, in maturity, an ornate facial pattern of black, red, white
and iridescent green. The slight swelling at his nape is the beginning of the
adult's swept-back green crest.
A young female:
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This last picture is of a mature female, likely the mother of some of these
juveniles. The large, wedge-shaped eye patch gives her away.
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Stages of Life
August 5th, 2009
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Purple Coneflower, aka echinacea. This is a native North American wildflower,
although I don't think it's native to Ontario. I've only seen it in or near
gardens.
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Great Crested Flycatcher
August 4th, 2009
Great
Crested Flycatchers seem to be moving through. Mud Lake was teeming with them
yesterday.
This one must have decided that flycatching was too much work.
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Black-Crowned Night Herons
August 3rd, 2009
The Night Herons at Mud Lake have fledged their young, and both adults and
young are becoming a common sight. This one is molting, I think, thus the
somewhat dishevelled appearance.
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Carrying lunch, maybe a catfish:
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A handsome adult. This is certainly the most classic Night Heron shot I've
ever taken--a much more typical shape and pose than in
the one pictured here.
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Things Best Not Messed With
August 2nd, 2009
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Bald-Faced Hornet in a milkweed plant.
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