Mac Lilley Farm

We had a nice morning at the farm several weeks ago.  Notwithstanding the fact that a couple of our group decided to wade into the boggy area, the horses were quite happy to have their photos taken.  I ventured into the paddocks and found some inquisitive eyes.

NIght sky over Hungry Bay

Taken during the new moon phase at the very beginning of July.  Overlooking our family cottage.  While the Milky Way was muted, it was still a great evening to be out shooting.  The mosquitoes liked my company too.  First image was on July 2nd.  The second image was on July 3rd.

Early July at Six Mile Lake

Paddling around Wild Rice Bay.  Great Blue Heron and Hooded Merganser family feedings.

Chipmunk and Trillium

Ok, I know.  Another trillium?  Yes but at least there is a cute chipmunk first.

Starry Starry Night, Part II

Well I planned to shoot the Milky Way during the night of the new moon.  Thought process was, no moonlight so the Milky Way would be super bright.  Wrong.  While it was visible, it was kind of lack lustre.  I mean if it takes a couple of billion years for the light to get here, don't you think that the intelligent life forms from far away could have foreseen my need for a bright galaxy that night and made appropriate arrangements?  This is four images stitched together.

Starry starry night...

Something a little different.  No star trails.  No Milky Way.  Just an hour of star shots taken every 15 seconds for about an hour squeezed into 15 seconds.  Please view full screen.  There is no sound.

Late Spring

It has become a tradition for us to open the family cottage over the Victoria Day weekend.  We see lots of different weather; sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy.  This year we had a cool Saturday, cold Sunday morning and hot Sunday afternoon.  There was barely a bud on the trees, let alone any leaves.  On Saturday the air was so cool and the sun so faint that the Trilliums were barely willing to open.  Sunday was a different story.  They were out in their glory and I found a friendly Downy Woodpecker digging a rotted log, looking for grubs. 

Trilliums

A cold harsh wind on a cloud morning left me wondering why I hadn't just slept in.  When you arrive at Peter Corner's Corner in early May, you know your in for a treat.  Bzillions and bzillions of trilliums, not to mention the spring bird migration.  I set about shooting the trilliums and during a brief break, about half a dozen varieties of warblers flew through the bush I was in.  Glad I took my binoculars. 

Woodland Cemetery

This might be the oldest cemetery in London, ON.  During my walk, I viewed stones dating back to the 1850s.  There are some big old monuments and a very nice, neat and tidy veterans' section.  To many Londoners this is the cemetery with the deer.  A couple of weeks ago, I went and saw lots of big lenses.  That usually means a very rare bird sighting.  Well my guess was correct.  It was a pair of Great Horned owlets and one of the parents.  A little later I found a red-bellied wood pecker.  The deer, well they were molting and not very attractive.  Maybe next time.

Elgin Railroad Museum

I always enjoy visiting this place. Not that I'm a huge railroad fan but who doesn't enjoy seeing the shear size of these machines and the precision of how all the parts fit together.  Fellow camera club member and Museum guide, Charles, gave us explanations regarding the huge repair shop, the locomotives and switch boxes.

Small Mammals

When was the last time you were only a few feet away from a skunk or an bobcat?  Recently the Canadian Raptor Conservancy hosted a mammal shoot for photographers.  The animals came from a rescue centre where all the money they raise goes straight to animal care.   At the end of the session we were privileged to see a Snowy Owl then an Eastern Screech Owl.

Crystal Clear Ice

It took three trips to Pt Bruce this weekend to get sunshine, white snow, winds that didn't blow over my tripod and temperatures that weren't bone chilling.  This afternoon was it.  I really had gone to take photos of the waves crashing over mountains of ice but like I said, the wind wasn't too strong.  I think these shots are quite different from my usual subjects.  None of these chunks were longer than 15 cm.

Reptiles

This morning we had the privilege of shooting some very fine, cute and ugly frogs, snakes, lizards and more.