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Taken last spring, during a walk along Duffins Creek. Another view of the annual trout run near Whitevale. In places, the trout are ‘stacked’ as they prepare to run up some of the shallower portions of the creek. Last year the creek was especially shallow for the time of year and there were a few deeper pools where multiple fish lined up for their run. I like this particular shot because it has a… Read More
I love watching the early plants emerge from the dead-looking ground in the spring. They follow the same pattern, year after year, whether it’s an early or late spring, the pattern remains consistent, though sometime s compressed or accelerated. This past winter was particularly cold and spring has been delayed by many cold spells. So, I walk through the woods in hopes of seeing those early emergences. I was very pleased to… Read More
Yes, I know, two posts in one day. 🙂 I had the opportunity today, now that it is starting to at least look more like spring, to go for a hike around our local reservoir. It’s a beautiful little sanctuary, with diverse plants and wildlife. The hiking trail offers me a nice place to unwind, and photograph, even during a busy day, because it is so close. I was not expecting to… Read More
This plant is, from my experience, the first plant to flower in spring in southern Ontario. It’s also a signal for me that the Rainbow Trout spawn is starting. It’s an unusual plant in that it blooms before it puts out foliage. The bright yellow flowers, that people often mistake for dandelions, form quickly on tough brown stalks and then go to seed. Shortly thereafter, large hoof shaped leaves form, thus the… Read More
Yet another tree abstraction. I’ve walked past these poplars many times, and every time, the light is a bit different or the foliage in the background has changed, every so slightly. This photo was made on Saturday as I went for a walk around our local reservoir. On this particular visit, the trees and undergrowth are not yet in bud and the bright red of the Red-Osier Dogwood shows clearly to the… Read More
Pinecones on willows? I keep seeing these pin cone-like structures on the ends of sandbank willow branches along Duffins creek and always wondered what they were. They actually are not a natural part of the willow, but rather, the homes of Pinecone Willow Gall-midges (Rhabdophaga strobiloides). These midges secrete a chemical that forces the willow to create these pinecone-like pods to provide the midges food and shelter. The adult midge lays its eggs in the… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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