Almost the end of February and a light snowfall overnight coated everything with a covering of snow and ice. The sun came out, the temperature was not many degrees below zero. In three or four weeks most of the snow will be gone (though more could arrive) and there will be a [...]
Clearing out the basement, well, truthfully, a corner of the basement a few days ago I uncovered a three hole pipe which, for those readers who are not into folk music, is the blown half of a pipe and tabor - the original "one man band". Once upon a time I learned to [...]
Getting right to the point ... the focal point I like to do macrophotography - getting really close in on small features such as flowers and insects. But it has always had a significant limitation - depth of field. Not all of your subject is guaranteed to be in focus. I use a [...]
Candlemas - Imbolc - Lupercalia February 2 this year is the festival of Candlemas/Imbolc/Lupercalia and marks the half way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Solstice - without a doubt this is a date to celebrate. Any reason for a drink and a good meal is worth making note of. Appropriately, [...]
I wonder if I might solicit your comments please on some pairs of photographs ... well, actually on the software that edited them. This week, after a sadly lengthy wait while the slow boat arrived from China, I finally took delivery of a spiffy new computer (Apple MacBook with the new super-powerful M1 chip [...]
We have created an interactive trail map for visitors following the Main (Orange) Trail in the Morgan Arboretum. This map is full of interesting information for walkers taking the trail during the winter months – a spring/summer version will be published around Easter time. Use the map on this page to plan [...]
18 January, and after a weekend of heavy snowfall we went out to enjoy the countryside on the West Island. Considering this in Montreal, it's very pleasing to have such places within a very short distance from home. Lovely deep snow with a thin and crisp topping to wade through - thank [...]
Even the woodpecker owes its success to the fact that he used his head. —Author Unknown Continuing with the theme of occasional “Naturally Speaking” accounts of species you can encounter on the West Island of Montreal I am going to introduce a another bird. Botanists and entomologist friends of mine need [...]
Species Accounts Richard Gregson PhD MPhil CBiol FRSB - West Island Wildlife - Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis) Introduction: I have been sharing a few photographs and some very basic information daily for almost a year now about assorted species of wildlife and plants that can be found in the leafy western [...]
If you are not a keen birder this will perhaps not be of great interest - unless you have decided to really take up birding with the start of a new year and wan a target to aim for. Anyway, assuming you plan to read on ... here is what we saw [...]