October 2018
A Ring-billed Gull hopping from rock to rock out in the lake
A Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) happily swimming down the Otonabee River
Swamp Asters (Symphyotrichum puniceum) providing some a last boost of pollen before winter arrives
Tamarack (Larix laricina) cones
An Eastern Pheobe (Sayornis phoebe) giving the evil eye
Purple Crownvetch (Securigera varia) carpeting the forest floor
A cobweb weighed down by water droplets gathering in the fog
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) going strong into Autumn
A beaver’s paradise. This area is home to a few of the Blandings Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) that We tracked over the summer while working for the the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. We named it Danger Zone because of the deceptively deep waters that filled each of our waders at some point over the season!
An Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) stuffing his little face with acorns in preperation for the long winter hibernation ahead
A White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) enroute to the south as migration continues
A Ring-billed Gull (Larus argentatus) is keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings
A small Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) stopping onky for a second before flitting on
Fungi and Moss taking full advantage of the fallen logs as Autumn continues on
The white flowers of Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) popping out from the deep greenery around it
A small Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) taking a look around before disappearing into the undergrowth
Daisy Fleabanes (Erigeron strigosus) Stil going strong, providing much needed nectar for all those pollinators before winter hits
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) slowly going to seed
A White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) surrounded by the yellowing leaves of autumn
Sometimes you just need to take a closer look to appreciate the more common species around us. In this shot you can see the intricacy of the plumage on a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), keep an eye out for these little guys and if you catch them in the right light you’ll also see how iridescent they can be!
A Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) showing off its autumn colours
Muted Beaver (Castor canadensis) tones. This shot was taken after a long day of Turtle tracking we went to explore the beaver ponds that go up into the forests. After spotting this beaver we made our way closer each time he went under until we were lying down in the mud near the waters edge. The beaver was quite curious and came in close a couple of times to see what we were before swimming off
Solitude
New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) adding a bit of colour ask winter closes in
The Autumn leaves of a Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Swamp Asters (Symphyotrichum puniceum) setting the tone
The things you can do if you’re able to just fly away if you fall. Heres to you little Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)!
Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) gliding aling the Otonabee River
A 1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Larus argentatus) flying above the Otonabee River
A European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) peering out from the greenery
Water beading off of an Eastern Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)