Posts

Visit to the Mer Bleue

-
Image
 The Mer Bleue Conservation Area and Ramsar Site A most beautiful day to visit the Mer Bleue Bog, but the crowds were enormous. The Tamarack trees were at their prime for autumn colours. The Mer Bleue is Ottawa's second largest conservation area next to The Marlborough Forest in the west end of the city. The Bog is a designated Ramsar Site no.755, a Wetland of International Importance. Eastern Garter Snake ( Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis ) DewberryTrail, Mer Bleue Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Ramsar site no. 755. I came across this beautiful Garter Snake on the Dewberry Trail on Ridge Road. He was very docile and comfortable with the camera. I got this shot during golden hour and the sun lite up this guy most beautifully as he slithered through the fallen leaves. I was very fortunate that this photo was selected to be featured on Explore Flickr website it instantly went viral and is now one of my most popular on the site. The Bog When I first arrived at the main boar...
Post a Comment
Read more

Visit to Petrie Island

-
Image
 Petrie Island Park Had myself a great visit to Petrie Island Park, in the east end of Ottawa on the Ottawa River, It was a beautiful autumn day and there was lots to see including this little Raccoon that was digging up moresales trailside. He was very composed and didn't mind all the attention he was getting. Raccoon ( Procyon lotor ) Petrie Island Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Came across a Great Blue Heron who was fishing along the shoreand not minding my presences as I tried to photograph this beautiful bird, he actually caught a fish that would have been a great photo but opportunity was lost to my slow actions. Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias ) Petrie Island Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Lastly I came across a beautiful Spotted Lady Beetle sitting in the sun, managed to get two shots before it whisked away to the back of the leaf. There were other creatures I came across but these were the only photos I was able to capture. All in all it was a beautiful day with lots t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Visit to Alfred Bog & Cooper Marsh

-
Image
 Visiting Wetlands For my birthday this year I went on an excursion to some wetlands in Eastern Ontario. First stop was the Alfred Bog Provincial Park where the subject of the day was orchids. I have been trying to witness the orchid bloom I have come across in the past to no avail leaving me to wonder if I would ever see my orchids again at the bog. This year I found orchids not like the super bloom I have seen before but I did came across three types of orchids in the bog which made me very happy. Second stop was the Alfred Bird Lagoons that turned out to be very disappointing with very few birds and the highlight of the visit was seeing a fox trotting down the road. Third stop was the Cooper Marsh Conservation Area on the St. Lawrence which proved to be excellent for birding seeing a great variety. So that was the extent of my birthday trip that I found to be very successful and oh ya I turned 58 this year. Alfred Bog Provincial Park Rose Pogonia ( Pogonia ophioglossoides ) Alf...
Post a Comment
Read more

Visiting the Bill Mason Centre

-
Image
 Dunrobin, Ontario A warm Sunday in the west end of Ottawa visiting Constance Creek found two young Blanding's Turtles trying to cross a busy road, picked up one who was hiding in his shell and too frightened to complete his journey the other successfully scampered across the road with no help needed. The Blanding's Turtle is an endangered species and saving them when I can is a great duty.  Blanding's Turtle ( Emydoidea blandingii ) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Conservation Status: vulnerable (S3) in Ontario, CA (NatureServe). Endangered in Canada (Canadian Species at Risk Act). The woods were filled with White Trilliums and a few Red here and there could be seen. But not too many spring flowers were to be found I really wanted to get the Painted Trilliums but alas there were none to be seen in the woods. Pure Green Augochlora Bee ( Augochlora pura ) on a White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) Bill Mason Centre, Dunrobin, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Wild Strawberry ( Fragaria ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chasing Tiger Beetles

-
Image
 Merivale Gardens in Ottawa Saturday this weekend went exploring the sand dunes of the Piney Forest and was lucky to find the Tiger Beetles out on the dunes in the warm sun. I didn't get a chance to photograph any last year but I did come across a number on the sandy beaches of Petrie Island in eastern Ottawa. I think this is the first time I photographed Tiger Beetles with my new Canon EOS R7 with the 100mm macro lens. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the photos being that the insects are hard to find not moving or flying about. The sand dunes at Merivale Gardens has three species of beetle including the Ghost, LeConte's and the Eastern Sand. This time I came across the most common LeConte's/Festive Beetle. LeConte's Tiger Beetle ( Cicindela scutellaris lecontei ) Merivale Gardens, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Hoping I will get some more varieties this summer I would most definitely like to get some shots of the Ghost but unfortunately they are getting hard to...
Post a Comment
Read more

My visit to Trenton

-
Image
 Presqu'ile Provincial Park Last weekend went for a four day visit with my friend Marci in Trenton, Ontario. We went to Presqu'ile Provincial Park on Saturday which turned out to be a beautiful day with a cool wind blowing. Didn't see many birds but you could tell they were around by all the songs that were being sung.  Searching for birds The Boardwalk The Lighthouse
Post a Comment
Read more

Happy 2026

-
Image
   Welcome to the New Year And looking back on the old 2025. Exploring the new Fork Lake Trail was a highlight of 2025, not seeing much but it was great exercise going up the staircases in the woods to reach the overlook of the lake most notable fauna of the trail were the squirrels and the Blue Jays. The trail was a new addition to the park and opened in June of 2025. Fork Lake Trail American Red Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) Fork Lake Trail, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Most notable photography for 2025 was again a frog year on my Flickr site. Even though the photo was taken in 2024 of a Northern Green Frog ( Lithobates clamitans melanota ) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was highlighted to be my most popular upload for World Frog Day which was on March 19, 2025. Subsequently garnering even more views and likes when I included the photo on Flickr's Your Best Shot 2025 in the Nature category. Some other notable photos of the yea...
Post a Comment
Read more