Greg Shchepanek

   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...

  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 ...

 Year 2025 Northern Green Frog ( Lithobates clamitans melanota ) Shaw Woodlot • Ontario, Canada.  Canon PowerShot G7 X From the website Viewbug received the award of Staff Favourite which I was so honoured to receive seeing that this is one of my all time favourite Northern Green Frog photos. It took some balancing act to be able to capture this angle of the frog it being floating in the Snake River. I was able to have one foot on a rock in the river to get this shot and the frog amazingly cooperated in the photo session, I have yet to duplicate the scenario on my lengthy adventures as a nature photographer. But it seems that I have a high regard in my frog photos, them being some of my most popular photos online.  Now how I have been doing on Photocrowd getting awards of Highly Commended  and Merited  from a panel of judge results, I have also placed first on the Leaderboard for the first week of participation on the website. These are the said photos in ...

 Less Earnings This Week  Species of Birds = $5 Say's Phoebe ( Sayornis saya ) Salton Sea, California, United States. Pulse = 1777 Entry 2 = $5 Red-breasted Nuthatch ( Sitta canadensis ) Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Pulse = 2137 Compared to last weeks cash earnings of thirty four dollars in prize money, this week proved to be a ho-hum placement of entries. The bird photos did receive the highest pulse and the highest ranking of 256 out of 662 entries. These are my most popular bird photos on other sites. The other quests I didn't fare as well but this was probably due to late entries that resulted in less views. As for my Mr. Green Frog he did not so bad in Best Photo category ranking 327 out of 1008 and he is still generating much attention on my Flickr account. Hoping he will place well in the Flickr Photo of the Year contest. My Amethyst photo didn't do as well as I thought it would ranking 666 out of 828. This week I am participating in six different ques...

 Most Favourited Frogs  Northern Green Frog ( Lithobates clamitans melanota ) Foley Mountain Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada. Second to Squirrels comes those amphibians, the frogs that are a favourite to my viewers on my Flickr site and presented in Explore. The above photo is the third most popular that was taken just this year while I celebrated my birthday out in the woods. I discovered this Northern Green Frog on Foley Mountain at a beaver pond, here it was teaming with frogs that were posing to boot. This particular frog sat and had no concerns as to the large lens that was positioned in front of him. Going out I commonly search after the frogs be it next to water or far from the shoreline. It is nice to capture them in the water but I'll take them as I can get them. It is surprising how far you can find some species from vicinity of water, commonly I find Leopard Frogs high on hill tops and nowhere near a source of water. As well Wood Frogs are known for their locati...

 Most Popular Squirrel Photos American Red Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) Britannia Conservation Area, Mud Lake, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I have been photographing nature for about thirteen years now and squirrels have been a favourite amongst viewers wherever I post my photos so here is a compilation of favourite squirrels on my Flickr site. Squirrels do the darnedest things and the cutest behaviours wherever you find them in North America or just in your backyard. Some of my most iconic squirrel photos were taken in the Northwest Territories where the American Red Squirrel abound and are the most prevalent critter on the trails. From eating mushrooms or just chatting up a storm you can find the red squirrels performing all kinds of antics in the Boreal Forest. Down in Ottawa there are a variety of squirrels that can be found in the woodsy areas of the city notably the Eastern Grey Squirrels both grey and black. Thrown in with the Eastern Chipmunk there are much squirrels t...