Greg Shchepanek

 Bat Lake Trail, Algonquin Provincial Park American Toad ( Anaxyrus americanus ) Went for a two day adventure in Algonquin Provincial Park and on the first day came across some amphibians along the Bat Lake Trail . First I saw a  Dekay’s Brownsnake and in close proximity found the above American Toad who posed nicely for the camera. The next to see was a little baby toad  about the size of the tip of the finger he was fast moving but eventually came to a halt to get some great photos of the little guy.  Little baby  American Toad  ( Anaxyrus americanus ) When I arrived at a body of water on the trail I found it teaming with Northern Green Frog s not happy to pose for pictures but I managed to come across this one who believed he was hiding form me trying not to fall in the water I was able to get a trio of shots of this guy.  Northern Green Frog ( Lithobates clamitans melanota ) It was a great day for amphibians along the Bat Lake Trail . On the se...

  FPD 50 Inch Smart TV, 4K LED Google TV Finally broke down and bought a new television to replace my ancient Panasonic 42 inch Plasma TV and what a difference it has made in my household. The video gaming has been upped to a new level  experience and the viewing of my photography is spectacular. My old plasma tv had developed a 1pixel line that bisected the screen and there was some odd colouration to the old beast that weighs as much as I do. The other night I was watching some 8K videos on Youtube that totally blew me away and I then realized that I had made the correct decision to upgrade. Also my phones, iPhone and Pixel have been integrated into the functionality of the television viewing experience. All my music apps have been uploaded to the tv and with the Dolby Atmos & vision I am truly in visual & aural heaven with surround sound. I have also grown quite fond of Youtube Music watching and listening to my favourite DJs and performers, just hope my neighbours ...

 Macro Photography Forum Macroderie   is based in the  United Kingdom , owned and operated by founder Vasile Jechiu (Vas, Jack). An  online community  for  macro photography  sharing and other photography discussions .  This Community has been built to provide the best support for all photographers who are shooting macro. You can discuss, ask any questions and have free resources to improve your photo skills. This internet forum style has been made by photographers for photographers. The initial launch was in March of 2020, with a handful of photographers it is now populated with 1,600 members and boasts 42,000 messages to date.  Macro photos can be uploaded by any registered user, but must meet a maximum size of 5MB (megaBytes) 5,000 kB or 5,000,000 Bytes. So down sampling is required and having the proper  Exif  (Exchangeable image file format) camera setting including static information such as the camera model and make, and info...

 These are Some I Have Come Across They are found all over the world and are sometimes the most colourful plants to be seen, there are enthusiasts' that plant and garden their own.  Wikipedia : Carnivorous Plants  has an extensively detailed write up on these wonderful oddities in nature. I love to spend my time in wetlands of North America be it lakes, marshes, swamps bogs and fens. And in these locations carnivorous plants can be found, some times in abundance and other times just a few. The thought of these plants catching any type of prey to feed on is just a wonder of nature. I have found the most variety of these plants at my father's cottage in Alleyn-et-Cawood, Québec, Canada, some being a rare find and endangered. Bogs & fens are a most popular location to view these almost animal plants of the Flora kingdom. I am a member of the Carnivorous Plant Society of Canada (CPSC)   where I have participated since May 9, 2020. Spatulate-Leaved Sundews ( Drosera ...

 Thousand Islands National Park It is really fortunate that Canada's National Parks admissions are free this summer and you just have to pay for parking. Conservation Areas usually have no parking fees and the admissions are always free. So my father and I took a little trip down to the Thousand Islands to visit the national park but unfortunately no nature discoveries or photos were found but it was a decent hike along the St. Lawrence. After the park visit we went to Lyn Valley Conservation Area in search for orchids that we had seen there before, Ladies Tresses and Green Bog Orchid but they were nowhere to be seen in the overgrowth along the old quarry just outside of the conservation area. But we did discover some interesting captures that we have yet to see this summer.  Silver-spotted Skipper ( Epargyreus clarus ) at the Lyn Valley Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada. Greater Bladderwort ( Utricularia macrorhiza ) at the Lyn Valley Conservation Area. I do love the carni...

 Blandings Turtle Yawn The Blandings Turtle  ( Emydoidea blandingii ) is one of our rare and endangered turtles, I was lucky to come across two at the same location in Stittsville, Ontario, Canada. Evaluated as Endangered by IUCN Red List : http://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7709/155088836 . NatureServe evaluates the situation as Vulnerable in Ontario and Canada. I have only come across this species once before and that was in Dunrobin and that was years ago in 2013. Dunrobin, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It came as a great surprise that there was actually two of these turtles in close proximity I am hoping that one was female and the other male but I have no idea how to figure out their sexes. They were buried in the muck of the stream and I first thought was it was a large frog than a Blandings. I photographed the two from the position along a bridge that crossed the stream. It was only when they began to move that you could identify them as turtles. Looking like a frog. S...