Motion

 Helicopter's main rotor blades

October 1 is City Daily Photo Theme Day and this month the theme is MOTION.

FYI: You're correct, this post is alive one day early because I accidentally uploaded today's post (Gray Jays) yesterday!

This time of year, one way to see and photograph the colourful trees in Algonquin Provincial Park is to fly over them in a helicopter.

 Helicopter

The helicopter filled my camera screen and - even though the machine was moving slowly-  it was quite low and I had trouble  keeping it totally in my view finder. Here I clipped the propeller!

Tail rotor blades

I am linking to City Daily Photo Theme Days  HERE

Gray Jay

 A bird in the hand is worth...

Saturday my husband and I visited Algonquin Provincial Park with birder/photographer friend Paul to enjoy the fall colour and, of course, to take photos of wildlife there. The leaves were approaching peak and you would NOT believe the carloads and busloads of people who had the same idea we had...so wildlife was scarce. But people-friendly gray jays can be depended on to appear as long as you provide them with dried cranberries and/or peanuts.

 Thank you Mr. Nice Guy!  I love peanuts!

After a few minutes, three gray jays arrived to eat and take away goodies to their secret stashes, preparing for winter.

FYI: The Gray Jays (AKA Whiskey Jacks)  inside Algonquin PP wear bands because they are part of a research project. Gray Jays are amazing because they do NOT migrate but live through the winter eating the peanuts, dried cranberries and whatever else they have stashed away all summer, which they have hidden in places such as under tree bark. They must have incredible memories as they appear to find most of what they have hidden away!

Paul feeding and photographing a gray jay

Paul's photos can be seen HERE.

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Old Vehicle

 Rusty and  almost hidden in weeds

I have no idea what kind of vehicle this is, but I am drawn to the  rust.

Another view

In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.
More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

Early Fall

Monarch with torn wings

 Monarch butterflies are on their way south!

Late September in my gardens

Frost has landed on parts of East Gwillimbury but so far my yard is frost free.  Blossoms still brighten my gardens,  and a few monarchs and other butterflies are still stopping by my butterfly bush (Buddleia) as you can see in the largest square. 

Moving clockwise: hydrangea, sedum, Japanese anemone, rose and coreopsis.

 Clouded sulphur butterfly above wild asters

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

Painted Lady

Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui)

I think Vanessa Cardui (the Painted Lady butterfly's Latin name) would make a great stage name. Hollywood here I come!

This Painted Lady was sipping goldenrod nectar and would barely stay still, in a feeding frenzy to drink as much in as possible while the sun was shining.

Another view

Hmmm. Was the butterfly trying to tell me something?

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Colonel Sam Reflections

 Reflection of boulders in Lake Ontario

The light was perfect for capturing reflections the last time my husband and I visited Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Toronto.

 Cattail leaves reflected in park pond

Stump reflection in another pond

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Apple Orchard

 Apple orchard fencing

Friends of ours own an apple orchard and winery in a town just south of where we live.

 Pick your own

This year the apples are big and juicy!

Don't they look delicious?

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

S/Alphaba-Thursday

Harvesting SPUDS

S is for SPUDS (AKA potatoes)

It's potato harvest time for here in Ontario.

Harvested potaoes are emptied into a BIG truck

Traveling down a country road, my husband and I spied this orange machine harvesting potatoes and loading them on to a big white but rusty truck.

The harvester pulled by tractor

So, of course, we stopped to watch. That truck holds a lot of 5-pound bags of spuds!

Quality control?

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

It's no secret that I love both the white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches, both of which are frequent visitors to our peanut feeder.  But when I see them some place else I get doubly excited. I saw this red-breasted nuthatch  in a Whitby, Ontario,  bird sanctuary...and apparently this variety is not often seen there.  Hmmm. What's common in one area may be quite unusual somewhere else...and not that far away, either.

 Wondering: Is that CameraGirl again???

This red-breasted nuthatch is often at our feeder and so friendly that I can almost reach out and touch it. Clearly it believes it ought not nip the hand that feeds it!

At our peanut feeder

This nuthatch stays here all year long so I'm sure I'll be featuring it again during the winter months.

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Colonel Samuel Smith Park

 Park view of Toronto

Colonel Samuel Smith Park is located in the west end of Toronto known as Etobicoke. The park is largely built on landfill, as I explained in last Wednesday's post HERE.

Wildflower-lined pathway lined leading westerly

Although this wooded park is in the city, it doesn't feel like it. Wildflowers and wildlife thrive there.  This time of year goldenrod and fall asters are blooming, and a few birds are making brief stopovers as they migrate south.

 Marina in a cove on north side of park

The park includes a curved peninsula that creates a cove that houses a popular marina.

 Pond on east side of park

And the park also boasts a pond teeming with wildlife.

 Child on dad's shoulders

During the summer months, Colonel Sam  is a great place for kids to explore and...

One of several park benches

for adults to take in sunshine while viewing Lake Ontario.

More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

Scavenger Hunt

 1. Window (Windows in the window, actually - Port Perry)

This week I'm playing Ashley Fisk's scavenger Hunt looking for photos to fit the prompts:  Window, Square, Picture in Picture, Curve and Pattern

 2. Square

Each Symbol from the British Isles is in a square panel. Do you know which one is the symbol representing Scotland?

 3. Picture in picture

 4. Curve

5. Pattern

I am linking to Ashley Sisk's Scavenger Hunt HERE

Muskrat

 Muskrat out for a late afternoon swim

I was sitting on a rock waiting for a yellow-crowned night heron to appear - which it never did - when this guy paddled by totally unaware that I was there...until he heard a strange "click."

Swimming back to his hideout

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Flying Swans

 Swans over Lake Ontario

Swan feather in marshy pond

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Gated Doorway

 Locked gate outside the yellow door

I'm not sure what this gated entrance is all about as I have never seen one like this before in a small town except for...

A second gated entrance to the door seen through the first

the one on the other side of the column leading to the same yellow door.

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

R/Alphabe-Thursday

 Rubble at the park

R is for RUBBLE.

On the northern shore of Lake Ontario in Toronto lies a treasure called Colonel Samuel Smith Park, much of which is built on rubble landfill such as bricks, concrete and rebar.

 Part of the park's coastline

It's now a lovely park that boasts easy-to-walk paths and abundant wildlife, wildflowers and trees.  My husband and I like to visit the park because it's a dedicated bird sanctuary and a great place to take a camera.

 Rubble Art?

I didn't see who built this but I'm imagining a couple of kids...or perhaps an adult who's a kid at heart.

More Rubble Art??

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Least Bittern

 Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis)

This tiny heron - the smallest in North America - is difficult to spot so when one showed up a week ago in Toronto marsh, birders from all over traveled to see this bird. It reminds me a lot of a green heron but is much smaller. It's approximately 30 centimetres (12 inches) in length.

Longer view

This species is not often seen in southern Ontario where wetlands have been lost to development. They build their nests in dense vegetation amongst cattails.

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Kiddie-mobiles

 Fire engine pedal car

Ding, ding, ding. Make way for the fire engine!

Remember driving when there was much less traffic and most people obeyed the speed limit?

Pedal tractor

In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.
More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.