Mostly. So now is the time to look and cry over all those things that we didn’t do during this summer. That always makes me think about all the things we did do.
Stay positive, eh? Why complain about the things we didn’t do? Because that’s our human nature and we regret that this summer time is now gone. You should have gone to live in [fill in your sunny destination here]
So, what did we do this summer? While most people only “remember” the things they didn’t do, as photographers we all have proof that we didn’t just sit home in front of the tv 
.
So let’s kick this one off with the start of the summer:
Ducklings were already born, but still ducklings, The duck pond in the Assiniboine Park was a great place to shoot some wildlife.
A trip with the Manitoba Foto Friends to the old Pinawa Dam, basically to shoot the dam and some moonrise. Great idea, but when we started off with a barbecue…
I mostly forgot about getting that moonrise just over the ruins of the old dam. Ok, better next time, or next year, who knows?
June was not the warmest month of the summer, it rarely is. Big storms with rain and hard wind appeared over the city, early mornings. I just had to get one of those before the sun rose, more or less.
A little walk in the neighbourhood gave us this little surprise. And then to see that there are people who don’t like these little deer because they make a mess in their garden!
A little trip to Oak Hammock Marsh gave me the opportunity to get some shore bird shots, like this American Avocet. A bird I had never seen before.
I went to Oak Hammock Marsh in the early morning around 7:30. The morning mist was not yet gone and gave me a nice moody picture. It was also one of the last times that we can admire shore birds there for the next year or two. They have now drained the marshes to create an artificial draught, beneficial for plants and wildlife. They call it a drawdown…
Reeds were still dry, the green stuff was not yet there. Walking between two “hedges” of reeds is a nice experience. All you need to get your senses calmed down from the hectic city life .
If you are looking for wildlife, you should not forget to look up, and up… This Coopers Hawk was one of the first to appear over the city. Since then they have been spotted in many more places.
Early butterflies are also one of my favourite subjects to shoot. Although they often choose very un-elegant backgrounds to sit on. Later through summer it would become too hot for them to stay still long enough to take a decent picture.
Then you have the wild sunsets. This one on a walk through the Assiniboine Forest. By now the grass had come back, after the controlled burn of a few weeks before.
One of my most wanted subjects was a series of wood ducks. The above one was caught in the Duck Pond in the Assiniboine Park. Easy target? Not really. they are pretty skittish throughout the summer.
The geese, already here since mid-March now have their offspring running around and feeding itself. It’s a lot of fun to see those little ones pecking at everything around them to see if it’s edible…
Then there is the Red River Exhibition, a giant country fair, complete with clowns, car sales, popcorn and mega rides. Diving in a 3m deep water tank from a height of 25m is dangerous and should be done only by professionals.
The Red River Ex also has fireworks, something I can hardly resist. At least when I have a tripod and a wide angle lens with me.
Back to the wildlife shots. This summer I seem to have done more wildlife than other things. But that’s only an illusion. I have no intention of showing family shots here, that’s all.
After much hesitation, I acquired a new lens. A 28-300mm in place of my old trusty 18-200mm. Shooting up close becomes way more interesting.
The young wood ducks in the Park are now within reach without them knowing it, hah!
Back in Oak Hammock Marsh I got harassed by this small female Killdeer. Not that this bird would kill deer, it’s only a name. However, she was actively taking me away from her nest of eggs, not 3m away from me on the other side. Talk about devotion!
My 300mm gives me way more possibilities to shoot insects and other skittish animals. This dragonfly didn’t even notice me. Or was too lazy to fly when I came closer, that’s possible too.
Wet and drying female Red Winged Blackbird. Ok, if I didn’t know that this was the bird, I wouldn’t have guessed she was red winged, nor that she was a blackbird. But hey, we often name a species after the male half, right?
More clouds over Winnipeg. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has reached its highest point and now is part of the city skyline.
Another one of those quiet sunsets, right? Wrong. This one was taken a week later, again at the Red River Ex, and I had the biggest trouble to keep people out of the shot.
Canada is known for its drives for charity and other activities. This one was the Dragon Boat Festival against cancer.
Always nice to see people getting active for a good purpose. Usually we stay in a car and don’t move until we really have to. Too often, I should say.
Fishing is also a great outdoor activity in Canada. Fishing with your peers is even better. The White Pelicans in Lockport really know how to catch their fish.
And for those who think that pelicans are small birds… The wingspan of an adult pelican it about 3m, way larger than the average car or truck. Think about that.
Then it’s time to cool off. The warm days arrive and a little ice cream is definitely on the menu.
Having a 300mm is nice, but sometimes you want to get closer to your benefactors than a few meters. These dragonflies eat mosquitoes and for that they are my friends. This one was resting with a big smile on his face it seems. Taken with a 60mm macro lens.
Time for solar activities in the night. Ok, not quite. Solar activity was a few days earlier and Northern Lights are the result. Big clouds were also on the menu that night. In the end an interesting picture taken around 1am.
But perhaps I am boring you, dear reader. I think I will continue this in the next post…
(to be continued!)