A suspicious-looking great blue heron and some ducks. (3/3)

#wildlifewednesday #birds #birdphotography #ducks #woodducks #mallardducks #herons #egrets #greatblueherons #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #naturephotography #photowalks

Full post: egrets, wood and mallard ducks, and a great blue heron

A great blue heron stands in a marshy area surrounded by tall reeds. Three wood ducks are perched on a branch over a body of water with a blurred green and yellow background. A mallard duck with mottled brown feathers stands on a rock beside a body of water. Two wood ducks are perched on a tree branch over water, basking in the sunlight.

Some shots of egrets I took this past summer in Grenadier pond. (1/3)

#wildlifewednesday #birds #birdphotography #ducks #woodducks #mallardducks #herons #egrets #greatblueherons #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #naturephotography #photowalks

Full post: egrets, wood and mallard ducks, and a great blue heron

A white egret is standing on a log by a body of water.A white egret stands gracefully on a branch over a body of water.A white egret with a long neck and yellow beak is pictured against a blurred natural background.A white egret stands gracefully in a shallow body of water amidst floating leaves and branches.

egrets, wood and mallard ducks, and a great blue heron

Some shots of egrets, wood and mallard ducks, and a suspicious-looking great blue heron I took this past summer in Grenadier pond.

A white egret stands elegantly on a log by the water's edge. A white egret stands on a log by a calm, reflective body of water. A white egret with a long neck and yellow beak is standing against a blurred natural background. A white egret stands gracefully in shallow water surrounded by fallen branches. A white heron stands in a calm, reflective body of water surrounded by branches. A tall white egret stands gracefully on a log in a tranquil, wooded water setting. A white egret stands poised on a log in a calm, reflective body of water. A white egret is wading through a forested wetland area with fallen branches and logs partially submerged in the water. A white egret with a long yellow bill stands on a log in a marshy area. A white heron stands elegantly on a fallen tree trunk in a calm, wooded waterway. A white heron stands on a fallen branch in a serene, reflective body of water surrounded by lush greenery. A white egret stands in shallow water, surrounded by greenery, with its reflection visible in the water. Two wood ducks are perched on a log in a pond surrounded by natural foliage. A mallard duck with mottled brown feathers stands on a rock beside a body of water. A mallard duck is standing by the edge of the water, facing away but turning its head back. A great blue heron stands in a marshy area surrounded by tall reeds. Three wood ducks are perched on a branch over a body of water with a blurred green and yellow background. Two wood ducks are perched on a tree branch over water, basking in the sunlight.

As always, you can see the full resolution shots at my SmugMug gallery: A Few Shots.

- dno.

a mix of urban and nature shots

Here I took a mix of some urban and some nature shots.

Close up on the end of a log, with the background blurred out. A spiderweb backlit by the late afternoon sun. A couple trees leaning over in the late afternoon beside a pond. A close-up of a blue stain-glass leaf. A chip truck parked beside a wood fence. A close-up of a bulge in a tree. Some trees and vines growing against a railway barrier.

Thanks for reading/viewing this far!

- dno.

ducklings, dragonflies, and butterflies, oh my!

Some shots of some ducklings, dragonflies, and a butterfly.

Some ducklings reposing on a mossy tree in a pond. A duckling swimming on a pond. Two dragonflies alighted on a floating stick in a pond. A duckling swimming with a leaf in his mouth. Another young duckling swimming. A close-up shot of a butterfly on some gravel.

Still working through my processing backlog. So more to come!

- dno.

a streetcar and steps

A couple shots from a walk with Anna last Canada Day.

A Toronto (TTC) streetcar with motion blur. Some stone stairs beside a tree.

- dno.

the trees of high park

Here are even more shots of trees from High Park! (Yes, I just keep taking them, and make no apologies!)

Tree in an S shape, among brush and other trees. Three trees in front of Grenadier pond. Tall tree rising up beside a path with fence. Some people sitting on a bench, beneath a tree full of white blossoms.

Thanks for reading!

- dno.

some woodland shots

Here are a few woodland shots from a nature walk in June.

Close up of the bark on the side of a tree. Path with roots leading up to a higher path. Leaning tree behind a make-shift fence. Leaning tree beside a path, with grass and yellow leaves.

As always, thanks for reading!

- dno.

a toad among nature

I’m a bit behind on my processing of photos, and getting caught up.

Here are a few shots from a walk in High Park in June.

A toad sitting on a rock. A mixed-use path leading through trees making a natural arch over the path. A tree arching over a pond and reflected in the water, making an oval shape. Some stone steps leading slightly to the left below a tree. The base of a dead tree, eroded over time.

I’d like to keep them coming as I get through my backlog. Thanks for reading!

- dno.

squirrels of high park

A few squirrels from a walk in High Park, Toronto’s largest public park.

A black-coloured eastern grey squirrel sitting on a hump in a tree, keeping an eye out. An eastern grey squirrel sitting on a branch amongst green foliage and munching on his lunch. A eastern grey squirrel perched on a log among sticks and leaves.

- dno.

woodland shots and colour grading

I experimented with colour grading on my last batch of photos. The main thing was to try and tame the bright greens of tree leaves (photos were taken in the Summer), which after applying my standard Camera colour profile in Lightroom look a little unnatural. See the shots above to see what they look like with this colour grading applied (click for gallery). It’s not exactly realistic, but I think it looks pretty nice. Not sure if I’ll take it this far again, but it was fun.

A short, naturally-worn length of log lying in a woodland area. A brownish Eastern gray squirrel clutching the side of a tree and looking at the camera. A dirt road winding among a wooded area, with sunlight peaking through the trees in a few spots.

- dno.

great blue heron among reeds

Great Blue Heron walking among reeds in Grenadier Pond, High Park, Toronto, Canada.

I saw this fellow tramping among the reeds along the side of Grenadier Pond in High Park. Got a few shots, but I think these are my favourites.

Great Blue Heron walking among reeds in Grenadier Pond, High Park, Toronto, Canada.

I’ve been trying to take more photos of birds. Not that I want to become a full-fledged bird photographer, but it’s been fun trying to get some good shots.

This kind of started when I went to the Long Branch Tree Festival at Marie Curtis Park. While I was checking out the various booths there with my family, I found one booth was representing the City of Toronto, and they had a pamplet available called “Birding in Toronto”.

Birding in Toronto pamphlet cover

The pamphlet referred to a book put out by the city called “Birds of Toronto”, which it said was available for free in any Toronto Public Library branch. Well, I guess it’s out of print now and you can’t get them anymore, but I was able to borrow one there. It’s also available online as part of the City’s Biodiversity Series:

UntitledImage

It’s a good book, and lists (p. 58) a lot of areas in the city that are great for viewing birds. I’m definitely planning to visit these!

- dno.

plant growing out of a post

Zoomed in shot of a wooden post sticking out of the water with a plant growing out the top of the post. Bottom half of the plant is red/orange and the top of it is still green.

Took this shot while on a walk in High Park yesterday.

- dno.