Another seemingly busy month. Some smoky days due to the forest fires north of us made getting outside unpleasant, but didn't stop nature moving on. Ducklings appeared, turtles were laying eggs, antlers were growing covered in velvet, flowers blossomed....
The bird bath at the front of the house was being well used by the birds.
At Parc Omega winter coats were being shed, rather messily, and new antlers were growing, (covered in velvet which protected the car from being scratched).
Two three week old caribou calves seemed to be doing well, As did a pileated woodpecker busy finding grubs on a fallen branch.
At Mud Lake the painted and snapping turtles were laying eggs well into the month. The raccoons, and perhaps the mink, were finding most of the eggs. This is nature at work.
Wood ducklings of various ages were swimming about while the male adults were in mid molt.
Dargonflies were dealing with the mosquitoes and summer flowers were blooming.
dot-tailed whitefaced dragonfly
possible Hudsonian dragonfly
Common bluet damselfly
Purple flowering raspberry
Viper's blugloss
Hawkeed
The nearby Mer Bleue bog was also in bloom including some ladyslipper wild orchids.
Labrador tea
Moccasin flowers (wild ordchid)
Tufted loosestrife
Laurel
The Purdon Conservation Area west of town had showy ladyslippers and pitcher plants in bloom.
A varied nature scene was seen on a walkaround a local storm water pond/wetlands
A walk on the second last day of the month had us by Fletcher Garden and Dow's Lake, part of the Rideau Canal system.
Mouse over for identifications.
Western catalpa tree flowers
Flowering rush
Sweat bee on bindweed
young bull frog
Canada Geese older goslings
As part of Doors Open Ottawa, the Embassy of France opened its doors to visitors. The interior is quite elaborate.
And on a different note, there was a Chinese "night" market one weekend.
Returning from the Night Market, I found some new murals to add to my post 1999 collection.
