A relatively quiet month that seemed to slip by quickly. Many of the nature trails in the area were closed as the extensive tree damage clean up continued. Early summer flowers blossomed and a few newborns were introduced. (We don't include the myriad of Canada Geese goslings.😊)
A formal garden in the (near) west end of the city was just finishing up its spring display, but there was still many flowers in blossom.
![poppy](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/fda7bff7-d03f-4dec-bc69-ed8110426ef1_rw_1920.jpg?h=40ba56939b8c86a550a6fb4617b5d8c7)
poppy
![lupine](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/9c2f4903-0c55-4410-b709-0fe518815559_rw_1920.jpg?h=725fb30519cecf5dc17b44446cf8129c)
lupine
![iris](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/37828c4a-bc73-4287-90b6-73747f06540b_rw_1920.jpg?h=71786ca49d9362530e75f8378bd8d4b6)
iris
![peony bud](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/b4ab0be6-d718-4ad9-a344-375d25c6a6c3_rw_1920.jpg?h=7d84a08159bdc3296c5f26741e2a2d20)
peony bud
![peony bud](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/a6e7a3e3-810e-49b7-97b3-303804e9410b_rw_1920.jpg?h=6c6e3beea065ae3d7507dffa40f0d5e3)
peony bud
![peony blossoms](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/45c4aff3-241a-45dd-91b3-67ae5b524955_rw_1920.jpg?h=ba20decfbc06dab84237b12e418b01a8)
peony blossoms
![peony blossom](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/469bde1b-26e7-46b8-804e-2490e719b50c_rw_1920.jpg?h=62b3a3c9546fa5e44fd940fd53f59b43)
peony blossom
Gatineau Park had some early summer wildflowers some of which were attracting insects. One lake had dozens of tadpoles along the shoreline, some well along their way to becoming frogs. The pine trees were giving off pollen fog in the breeze, some of which landed on benches and showed where people had sat.
![Yellow swallowtail on hawkweed](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/b9dbd69e-7150-4e8f-ba6b-9fe8b08abda2_rw_1920.jpg?h=0e9ae5629c338a9637989196a8b01c6b)
Yellow swallowtail on hawkweed
![Female green sweat bee on fleabane](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/3c8ee4b5-91c2-4cba-a9e3-a74ed0a13ea1_rw_1200.jpg?h=69cd57773f7809cb961c0eec4c1c8f4d)
Female green sweat bee on fleabane
![Fleabane blossoms](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/deb88c40-e3c2-4442-b031-ddc3e9c10fc4_rw_1920.jpg?h=c40432ab83a6d3868255d3bf7d5d633f)
Fleabane blossoms
![Fox and cubs](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/29954b80-fd8e-486f-bd93-037d8ca7125b_rw_1920.jpg?h=6ba16f2c716081f009bb579fb94f07ff)
Fox and cubs
![Maiden hair fern](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/d0b320ed-9b55-4126-b71e-459bb1a1428a_rw_1920.jpg?h=1bc1964234594cb18ac98fc759f32be3)
Maiden hair fern
![Tadpole/pollywog with developing legs](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/6f624e8c-240d-41f5-b5d7-7688fd4037ad_rw_1920.jpg?h=19bcf02da73cab4bec25421f103da308)
Tadpole/pollywog with developing legs
![Pine tree pollen containers](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/929682d3-f76b-4b23-ad9c-742f4940e371_rw_1920.jpg?h=240aa294f0e466624601bc639cec2ae9)
Pine tree pollen containers
![Pollen covered bench with evidence of people having sat on it](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f44ff846-0290-400a-87c2-033d208eb44d_rw_1920.jpg?h=b879b6daacd9a407380d0356d0f89618)
Pollen covered bench with evidence of people having sat on it
I was pleased/amazed with how well these waterfall images turned out.
The one on the left might be a little too silky, but it was 13 seconds handheld!!!!! The one on the right was 1/25 of a second.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/598a0823-c038-4d8d-baf1-6b7c8e2d6685_rw_1920.jpg?h=1ffdc2ca58df3f5834f5838063015aa5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/b59b0323-a96c-4c37-b8ea-a607fef9f424_rw_1920.jpg?h=e89c8d05802f4c45c684f6d39dffbdfe)
The skunks seem to still be around Petrie Island (I used to see them some 20 years ago). They help clean up the garbage. Andy Haydon Park had lots of red-winged blackbirds and one egret.
(They also have a myriad of Canada geese, but we won't talk about them.)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/74a89b6f-fe4b-48a4-bf8c-d42dbff9ce37_rw_1920.jpg?h=b36c4a4da42b3df59bb062955f4a99b7)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/ab046a05-8926-4537-8880-d90097d083bf_rw_1920.jpg?h=b933cbe321ad5b63ea59474c85d24872)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/6b7bc38d-7997-4a0a-ae5a-1cab501ee739_rw_1920.jpg?h=efe77d7d57d9c51a0d005291e15b3c51)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/c48db7d9-7f3c-4125-8204-eebe4d131f40_rw_1920.jpg?h=df5bee6b85b9a688898e9ff5462aa378)
With our extended annual pass to Parc Omega having come to an end, we'll be leaving the Parc to others for a while.
But Mud lake will still be a destination.
The area on the Mud Lake "ridge" where I find the beautiful frost on very cold days in the winter has turned into a wonderful garden of stone crop and daisies.
![Mid range view in winter](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/6d5e9b36-86c6-4a50-977a-3f27fc01554c_rw_1920.jpg?h=fcbf9bdefbcd4f84c00e47609e4f73ea)
Mid range view in winter
![summer's blossoming](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/30adf3aa-0ff3-4cf7-8420-4b8c72b8ee14_rw_1920.jpg?h=aabc72814ca6128b0ff03b9c9a12b32b)
summer's blossoming
A few animals etc that caught my eye at Mud Lake this month.
![Young male turkey practicing displaying](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2658e54a-4733-44f4-9508-30db41939826_rw_1920.jpg?h=66f14a2e7a86ba80db2e09b01cd18179)
Young male turkey practicing displaying
![Gertrude and 9 very young pullets](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/386c3314-35f3-4601-a3a2-45272bdaa19a_rw_1920.jpg?h=f27eafe4607ab8df3142965c68d143ad)
Gertrude and 9 very young pullets
![very young pullets](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/14236a34-53db-43c5-8167-9530a01dcdfc_rw_1920.jpg?h=da25df88b0ac9dc07ce9491c7f237a78)
very young pullets
![very young pullet](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/52a388c2-6339-4aab-8af2-635a29ebfd65_rw_1920.jpg?h=eb8baf853ca3fb333fba99ae09366322)
very young pullet
![Blue Flag](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/1b923b61-b5f4-4a4c-9520-c6f50bfd9812_rw_1920.jpg?h=aa56bacb14486461529f3f1f3b778d32)
Blue Flag
![Deadman's fingers](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/00756a37-78e6-4470-87c2-8609dcb09a8d_rw_1920.jpg?h=0bd249db2db4829bcc1197fc892fe8eb)
Deadman's fingers
![Mushroom](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/b163910d-4114-4f1a-82d1-dc707f4c5a15_rw_1920.jpg?h=2a14dabd90992198e101bcec01b537f3)
Mushroom
![Bullfrog](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/5f98d58e-ff9f-4b79-80da-89466b72e13e_rw_1920.jpg?h=ad12186fd0dc011e23be921ae63171b7)
Bullfrog
![Leopard frog](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/67c26fd1-8214-410b-8668-26fcd72a0ada_rw_1920.jpg?h=176e03972eb2f0fda497c6b57099cfee)
Leopard frog
![Wood duck mom and 11 ducklings](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/3e241f30-4235-44c7-a2d4-bfdbef73002d_rw_1920.jpg?h=320c32ed838b515e7dc5227faac47ff2)
Wood duck mom and 11 ducklings
![Fully moulted male wood duck](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/3853f53d-0f55-4bc4-8623-ffbaaf2c1613_rw_1920.jpg?h=9dee1bd5166898cf35ec78b00f84fbf9)
Fully moulted male wood duck
![Mating damselflies (those aren't eggs on the female, they are parasitic mites)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/486bd842-ac8e-475f-95dc-46c7914f4f1f_rw_1920.jpg?h=4d5d68784acc84a5282ab548d574b316)
Mating damselflies (those aren't eggs on the female, they are parasitic mites)
It sure was snowing one particular day at Andy Haydon Park...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/e62605e4-6025-42c5-98c4-8a40631496d3_rw_1920.jpg?h=2c97434eb75c390415db42484189d4b4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2bea4f67-69b7-481d-a67d-40559005e57b_rw_1920.jpg?h=5e6c59cb5e5334b4b8612454b2edde51)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/c1b64830-9d47-48af-90bd-b6df106b807e_rw_1920.jpg?h=ebbb390d912e24353f38ab0b3c7e9291)
...the poplar trees were in full seed spreading mode.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/4ccf8306-8f11-4763-8071-f02e7a4a00ae_rw_1920.jpg?h=f0249e10e0f9c29adb1f9640f096ce2e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/ea7b148a-d02e-4d32-8f30-703371e60006_rw_1920.jpg?h=4f9591da372fdf377b392a4d876383c4)