Category Archives: Wildlife

In just the last few weeks almost all the snow has melted, except for where it had been piled or accumulated in the ditches. The birds have clearly taken notice and seem to all be coming back north at the same time.

Some of the birds I’ve seen in great numbers this week are canadian geese, tundra swans, mallard ducks, and red-winged blackbirds.

Our early spring drive through the Badlands was memorable and beautiful. Just after we arrived, the scenery quickly changed as a heavy snowfall quickly blanketed the rugged terrain in a layer of white.

A few facts… Moose are shy, solitary animals, and don’t travel in packs. They can live for up to 25 years, and prefer cold climates, like Manitoba. Apparently moose can outrun a person by the time they’re 5 days old, traveling up to 56 km/h (35 mph). Yikes! Don’t get too close.

This one was spotted, out for a morning walk.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

Isaiah 40:8 NIV

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

Matthew 6:26 NLT

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.

1 Peter 1:3 NLT

I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me though he may die, he shall live.

John 11:25 NKJV

My family rented two tandem bicycles and rode them around Stanley Park in Vancouver. Having locked up our bikes, we also ventured inland on foot to walk around Beaver Lake where I took these pictures.

If you’re asking, I rode on the back of the bike and just held on for my life. But when I stopped being afraid of crashing, I found I had a great view riding the seawall bike path.

This one was taken from my own back yard. I sat and watched the father and mother birds bringing food to the nest inside a hollowed out part of the tree. Earlier in the spring I got to see them working to build the nest that is now filled with hungry babies. This picture is of the father who is carrying some red berries, just before going into the nest.

I’ve been working on this post for a bit now when I read this weeks photography challenge at the Digital Photography School, all about photographing silhouettes. So, feeling inspired I took the one of the robin and added it to my collection before I posted this. I love the simplicity of silhouettes, don’t you?

Buddy definitely has a personality of his own and usually shows it by announcing my husband’s arrival home every day. He enjoys sitting on our shoulder, nibbling our ears, and the treats we give him. While he’ll allow us to feed him by hand, he prefers that we keep them to ourselves after the food is gone. He can say “Hi Buddy,” and will do so if you spend a bit of time hanging out. Sometimes he will even compliment us with a whistle. We have owned cockatiels in the past but Buddy is by far the best.

My patience paid off with these great pictures. Though, I think this would have been a good opportunity to use my remote rather than get a cramp in my finger. I sat for a long time with my shutter button held halfway down so it was focused, ready at any moment to get the perfect picture. The trick is to sit still enough so you don’t scare them away!

This was the first time, thanks to my husband, that I got to try out the new healing brush tool in Gimp 2.8. It worked like a charm on the wasp and house fly who also wanted their own taste of liquid sweetness.

…take a picture before he waddles off like a duck too.