Going outside and waiting for Spring

With rising temperature and melting snowpack, it is difficult not to think about Spring.  Nowadays, I try to go outside whenever the weather is nice and I need a break from computer work so that I can discover that first hint of Spring (from a flower, insect, bird call, anything!).

Almost a week ago, it was still pretty cold when I was walking along the Rideau River.

Male Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Assorted photos in February

Here are some photos I took the past several days.

The Rideau Canal Skateway officially closed for the season yesterday and ended the shortest season on record (18 days).  Thankfully I got a chance to spend some time (walking) on the canal last Friday and to test my new lens.

Updates & Visiting Mud Lake

This week is reading week at University of Ottawa, so there are no classes for undergraduate students, which also means a less hectic week for me.  One thing I was planning on doing this week was looking for Snowy Owls.  The approximate location of the Snowy Owls is not very close to where I live and public transportation does not even come close to the area, so I have been waiting for some free time and good weather in order to make this thing happen.  And today is finally the day!

Another thing that happened this week was that I came across an ad of someone selling one of the lenses that I have been waiting for a while now - the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens.  After some online negotiation and postponing the transaction because of Tuesday's record-breaking snowfall, I finally received this lens yesterday, and it is beautiful!  Because of the two above things, I set some goals for myself today - find Snowy Owls and test the lens.

Long story short, the first goal was unsuccessful because the road where I thought the owls may be found was not the right one and walking along a busy rural road (during wintertime) without sidewalks does not make me feel very safe (just like the time when I tried to bike to Bridgenorth).  After feeling a bit bummed and tired out, I decided to visit Mud Lake and photograph some birds (and macro shots too) instead.

Mud Lake is completely snow-covered now.  I took this photo with my new lens.  It is so much fun shooting with a sharp prime lens (not really the case for my OM 50mm f/1.8 lens).

Dead bumble bee and wasp & my macro-photography set-up

As summer slowly comes to an end, flowering plants are slowly losing its colourful attractants and producing seeds of various sizes and shapes for future years.  Insects that had fulfilled their roles in life will also perish and become a part of the natural cycle.

On Saturday evening, as I returned home from school, I found this bumble bee on the sidewalk.  I thought it was dead at first, but then I realized it was just very weak.  I brought it home with me and tried to give it some sugary water, but it didn't respond.  After my dinner, I realized it wasn't getting any better, so I decided to put it in the freezer to end its struggle earlier.  Afterwards, I decided to take some photos of it and keep it  with the insects that I have found dead (not in the hands of me).

I think I am getting more comfortable with my macro-photography techniques and set-up, given the limited resources that I have (see below).

Jumping Plant Lice, Cuckoo wasps, and Dance flies

Sharing some of the photos of insects that I did not know and/or thought was cool-looking.

This critter was captured on June 11, 2011 in a yellow pan trap in my "1" study site. I didn't know what it was until I asked for help at BugGuide. Jumping Plant Lice (Family Psyllidae) can be identified by their hard and shining thorax and has 5 to 10 antennal segments.

Photos from last few days

Jan 19 - Blizzard-like conditions in the afternoon, but the sky cleared by nighttime.