Springwater conservation Area

Every year we go to this conservation area for the Fred Eaglesmith charity picnic. If you are not familiar with Fred, you should check him out here. He is a homegrown southern Ontario native who is an amazing singer songwriter. One of the best parts, after the music naturally, is the conservation area itself click here! There are 150 acres of mature Carolinian forest to explore, with lots of trails swimming and exploring to do. This year, my brother Michael and I went for a walk and found an amazing array of fungi - have a look!













There were even a bunch of creepy melted ones!




I have posted a whole set to my flickr account, you can see them here.

The forest itself is also extremely beautiful, here are a couple of shots of it..


And lots of swamps too...

Raptors

I have recently become obsessed with birds - all birds, but Raptors in particular! It all started one day last February when my friend Bonnie and I went for a bike ride and saw a juvenile bald eagle flying over our heads. Then we saw a tree full of robins and a bunch of great blue herons and then the young bald eagle sitting in a tree with the adult!

Since then we have had many such adventures, here are a couple of photos...

This is a Great Blue Heron. I would not even try to guess how many hours I've spent trying to get a good shot of one of these! They are very shy birds and, in my experience, as soon as you stop and try to get a look, they fly away. I got this picture on a very hot and muggy day. I went for a bike ride to Springbank Park here in London, and happened to see this guy across the river from me. I locked up my bike and climbed down the river bank, expecting him to take off with every step I took. But he didn't - too darned hot!



















Another bike ride - this one before a road trip that we were going to take that afternoon, when, riding out of one of London's fabulous parks, I see this guy fly across the road and land in a tree.













He wasn't nearly as shy as the heron!

Then, again on another bike ride, I hear a call and I look up...














I lose him, but then I see something else swoop above the meadow and land in this big old gnarly tree....


















He sat there for the longest time - eating and looking at me!!

Then, there are also the hawks on the side of the road...
















And the vultures on the beach - hey, they're raptors too, and although their faces may be ugly, they are huge, and beautiful too!

Trying again

To find a format that I can be consistent with and that gives me more of a forum for letting others see my photography.

Please Enjoy and comment. I plan to!