Photos from today back to the 1970s.
The new Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is Signs.
I had a few ideas for the challenge before thinking of some photos of a Great Blue Heron fishing behind a no fishing sign.
In some shots I focused on the bird, others I focused on the sign. For this challenge I picked a shot where the sign was in focus and the Heron appears to be laughing at the sign.
The new Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is Delicious.
My initial idea was for the various caterpillars, spiders and assorted other insects being fed to young birds by their parents.
Then it occurred to me just how many shots of birds and mammals feeding I had in my archives. So I decided to expand on the original idea with a selection of six different feeding behaviours.
First, an American Red Squirrel feeding on seed in the grass in Ontario, Canada.
An adult Eurasian Blue Tit feeding young with a green caterpillar in Cheshire, England.
A Bohemian Waxwing eating a berry at -30°C in Saskatchewan, Canada.
A Black-throated Blue Warbler pretending it’s an Oriole by feeding on the grape jelly in an Oriole feeder in Ontario, Canada.
An American White Pelican with a large fish in its pouch in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Finally, an adult Great Crested Grebe feeding one of its own breast feathers to its young in Cheshire, England.
Monochrome Monday travels back to spring last year.
I was down on the Lake Huron shoreline in Southampton, Ontario when these two Ring-billed Gulls landed on a large granite boulder and posed for a few shots.
The new Cosmic Photo Challenge is The Beauty of Spring.
One thing I always look forward to each spring is the arrival of the various bird species that head north to breed in the summer.
So here’s a selection of recently arrived summer migrants from the U.K. and Canada.
First, a Sedge Warbler photographed at Hurleston Reservoir, Cheshire, England. One of many warbler species that arrive in the U.K. in the spring.
Next a male Yellow-headed Blackbird in Saskatchewan, Canada proclaiming his territory having recently arrived for the summer.
Finally, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak recently arrived in Ontario, Canada for the summer.
The new Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge is In or On Water.
I quickly came up with a selection before deciding that they were all a little obvious. So I went through my archives looking for something less obvious.
So here’s a backlit Ring-billed Gull at sunrise. It’s standing in foam from waves whipped up by an overnight storm. Taken on the Lake Huron shoreline in Southampton, Ontario, Canada.
The new Tuesday Photo Challenge is Cake.
This was a difficult one for me until I remembered that some people call the various shapes of suet blocks used in bird feeders suet cake. Possibly because often the suet has fruit, berries, seeds and/or nuts mixed into it.
Here’s a male White-breasted Nuthatch feeding on suet cake while hanging upside down.
The new Tuesday Photo Challenge is Wonder.
Each spring I wait for the return of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Having spent the winter in the tropics they head north for the summer. The only Hummingbird species that breeds to the east of the Mississippi River some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds travel north of the Great Lakes to breed. A tremendous journey for such a small bird.
This male was photographed on the South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario last summer and obviously doesn’t like its photo being taken as it’s sticking its tongue out at the photographer.
