A black squirrel, which is a melanistic (dark-colored) variant of the Eastern gray squirrel. While it's difficult to see a notch in the ear from this photo, squirrels sometimes have notches or other ear injuries from fights with other squirrels, predators, or parasites.

The instructor demonstrated a new pose for squirrels, but when she did it, it came out a bit squirrelly.🐿️

#Squirrels 🐿️ #KeepCalmAndSquirrelOn #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #ReadyForWinter #Photo📷 #NuttyByNature #Photog4Hire #SquirrelGoals #SquirrelPower🤠🤙📿

A group of common starlings perched on a modern street lamp against a clear blue sky. The birds have speckled plumage, which is characteristic of their non-breeding season. European starlings are medium-sized birds with short tails and pointed wings, known for their ability to imitate a variety of sounds.

The Guardians of Light are not like regular heroes. They're much more starling.✨

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #StarryPlumage #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #StarlingSpot #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire #SoupOrHeros #FundaySunday #FeatherFriends #BirdsTheWord #SkeetDreams #OhMyFlockingGoodness 🤠🤙📿

The image shows a group of Common starlings perched on a wooden utility pole with power lines and insulators. The starlings are stocky black birds with short tails, long pointed bills, and speckled plumage. They are known to be gregarious and often form noisy flocks. Common starlings are an introduced species in North America that compete with native birds for nesting cavities.

In winter, their white-tipped feathers make starlings look like tiny, speckled stars, but ironically, they become more plain as spring arrives and they lose their "star-like" spots.

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

Numerous small, dark birds are perched on the bare branches of several trees. These birds are Common Starlings, which are known to gather in large flocks. The background is a mix of clouds and blue sky. This gathering of starlings in a large group is a common behavior, especially before a "murmuration," which is the synchronized flying of a large flock.

They all agreed that the tree was the perfect roost-a-rant to meet up at for the great murmuration ahead.

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

It's a bird's-eye view, but a photog's shot.🤠🤙📿🍁📷

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire #ForestFriday #Raptors #Hawks #PassItOn #FollowFriday #FollowBack #BirdIsTheWord #HawkwardEncounter #BirdOfPreyAndTell #WingIt #Wild&Free #FridayFeathers

A close-up photograph of a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) perched on a tree branch. The bird has dark, iridescent plumage with white speckles and a mottled brown head. It is looking down into a branch cavity in the tree trunk. The background is a clear blue sky with some yellow autumn leaves and bare branches.

A starling’s favorite food isn’t just bugs—it's also the little snacks in a murmuration of snacks.

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

It seems the agenda item, "How to fly in a straight line," is not going well, and everyone is trying to talk at once. Ten common starlings caught in the evening glow murmurating, with a larger group outside the frame, near the Burnhamthorpe Library.

With just ten of them, this is more of a whisperation than a murmuration.😏

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A common starling perched on a tree branch against a clear blue sky. The bird has its beak open, as if it is singing or calling. The bird's feathers are dark with a metallic, iridescent sheen that can appear purplish-green in the right light. Its body is covered in brilliant white speckles, which are more prominent in winter plumage.

When a starling started imitating a chainsaw, everyone agreed it was a real cut-up.

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

Mississauga late evening skyline, two modern high-rise buildings against a vibrant sunset sky. The sky is a gradient of orange, pink, and dark blue. The buildings are dark, with many windows, some of which are illuminated with a warm yellow light. The top sections of the buildings are lit up with green and red lights. The foreground is blurred, with dark foliage obscuring the bottom of the buildings and the view. A watermark in the bottom left corner reads "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia".

They may look like salt and pepper shakers, but they add a lot of spice to the city skyline.

#Mississauga #Skylines #Colours #Art #Architecture #Buildings #Sunset #Photography #Urban #Urbanity #Emerald #Fall2025 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙🍁📿

A black shadowtail (squirrel), clinging to the side of a tree trunk. Its head is visible, peeking out from behind a second, out-of-focus tree in the foreground. The squirrel is surrounded by autumn leaves on the ground.

You could say he's a tree-mendous peeper.

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #Photo📷 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

Common starlings, gathered on a grassy lawn. Several birds are on the ground, appearing to forage, while a few others are captured in mid-flight, either landing or taking off. The scene is set outside the Burnhamthorpe Library, an urban, environment with a tree trunk in the foreground and a building visible in the background.

Common starlings, gathered on a grassy lawn. Several birds are on the ground, appearing to forage, while a few others are captured in mid-flight, either landing or taking off. The scene is set outside the Burnhamthorpe Library, an urban, environment with a tree trunk in the foreground and a building visible in the background.

Common starlings, gathered on a grassy lawn. Several birds are on the ground, appearing to forage, while a few others are captured in mid-flight, either landing or taking off. The scene is set outside the Burnhamthorpe Library, an urban, environment with a tree trunk in the foreground and a building visible in the background.

Common starlings, gathered on a grassy lawn. Several birds are on the ground, appearing to forage, while a few others are captured in mid-flight, either landing or taking off. The scene is set outside the Burnhamthorpe Library, an urban, environment with a tree trunk in the foreground and a building visible in the background.

The starlings came for the bookworms, but now they're just having a field day enjoying a grass-roots literary festival just outside the Burnhamthorpe Library. Mississauga, Ontario.

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

The image shows a seven starlings perched on the bare branches of a tree against a clear blue sky. Subject: The birds are identified as Common Starlings, also known as European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Appearance: The starlings have dark, iridescent feathers that appear speckled with light spots. Setting: The birds are on the leafless branches of a tree. A white building is visible in the background.

The tree looked a little crowded with just seven starlings. It was a fowl situation, but the birds of a feather flock together.

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A large flock of birds, identified as starlings, perched on the bare branches of a deciduous tree against a clear blue sky. The birds are clustered together on the branches, which lack leaves, suggesting the season is autumn or early winter. The sunlight highlights the tree's branches and the birds.

Today I saw a bird.

... well, several. A starling murmuration it is then. Lots and lots and lots of feathers were in attendance.

(More to come ... )

#Birds 🪶 #Starlings #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

Canadian robin in flight against a clear blue sky. The bird is captured from the side, with its wings fully extended. It has a reddish-orange breast, a grey back, and a dark head.

He's the best fighter pilot, no feathering about it.

Canadian Forces Robin Redbreast enroute to CFB Petawawa during the golden hour.

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

Wider format. Same frame - different compostion. The image shows a late evening squirrel illuminated by the setting sun. The animal is in the foreground, facing the camera, with a bright, glowing tail. It is standing on a path covered in fallen autumn leaves. The background is dark, with a few faint, out-of-focus lights visible in the distance. The bottom left corner of the image contains a watermark with the text "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia"

Vertical frame format - central composition. The image shows a late evening squirrel illuminated by the setting sun. The animal is in the foreground, facing the camera, with a bright, glowing tail. It is standing on a path covered in fallen autumn leaves. The background is dark, with a few faint, out-of-focus lights visible in the distance. The bottom left corner of the image contains a watermark with the text "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia"

This is the same frame with different compositions. Which do you think is more appealing? I'd be curious to know. I'm also open to other compositional suggestions.

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #Photo📷 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

The image shows a late evening squirrel illuminated by the setting sun. The animal is in the foreground, facing the camera, with a bright, glowing tail. It is standing on a path covered in fallen autumn leaves. The background is dark, with a few faint, out-of-focus lights visible in the distance. The bottom left corner of the image contains a watermark with the text "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia"

I hear Shadowtail is a little squirrelly at night, but he's not afraid of the dark—it's his natural habitat.

Late evening as the sun sets on the Little Etobicoke Creek Trail, Mississauga. Ontario.

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #Photo📷 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

The image shows the Absolute World towers, a pair of twisting skyscrapers in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, illuminated by the golden light of the sun. The towers are often nicknamed the "Marilyn Monroe" towers due to their curvaceous, hourglass shape. The two towers are part of a five-building complex and were designed by MAD Architects and Burka Architects. The taller tower is 56 stories high, and the shorter one is 50 stories high. The unique design features a constant four-degree rotation per floor on one tower and a varying twist of one to eight degrees per floor on the other. The towers have received international recognition, including the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2012.

I'm just a simple city, trying to make the skyline more curvaceous.

#GoldenLight #Sauga #Marilyn #Towers #SkyScrapers #Skyline #Absolute #Curves #Photog4Hire #Freelance #Architecture #Art #SunSet #Glass #Photography

A melanistic (black) Eastern gray squirrel, perched on a branch. The squirrel is seen in profile, with its head turned to the left. The background is a mix of dark and shadowy foliage with bright, out-of-focus spots of yellow and blue light. The image has a watermark in the lower-left corner that reads "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia".

A squirrel in the dark is hard to see, but not because he's hiding— he's just very incognito.

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #Photo📷 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a small woodpecker with a black-and-white barred body, a bold face pattern, and a white stripe down its folded wings. Both sexes have a red forehead, while males also have a red throat; juveniles are browner and lack the red on the head and throat. They are known for drilling rows of small holes in trees to drink the sap and eat insects.

"Woodpeckers of a feather flock together, but sapsuckers go solo."

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

This photograph's composition effectively uses a contrasting color palette and a shallow depth of field to draw attention to the central subject. The image's strength lies in its use of color, texture, and light to create a serene yet dynamic mood. Subject and Focus: The primary subject is a single, brightly colored yellow maple leaf floating on the water's surface. The leaf is sharp and in focus, while the surrounding water and its reflections are blurred, creating a shallow depth of field that isolates the subject. Color and Contrast: The vibrant yellow of the leaf provides a strong focal point against the dark, abstract background of reflected foliage. This high-contrast color scheme, along with the small, bright bokeh lights on the water's surface, makes the leaf stand out prominently. Texture and Movement: The ripples on the water's surface add a sense of texture and gentle movement, preventing the composition from feeling static. The abstract reflections in the water, which appear as streaks and patches of color, contribute to the artistic quality of the image. Rule of Thirds: While not perfectly aligned, the leaf is positioned near the right vertical line of the rule of thirds, which creates a more dynamic and balanced composition than if it were placed directly in the center.

Just a little something to brighten your stream.

"This is my new waterbed. It's a little wet, but the views are incredible."

#Nature #NaturalWorld #Photography #Abstract #Art 🖼️#Fall #MapleLeaf #Colours #Serene #Peaceful #Wet #LightPlay #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙🍂🍁

"The Board Meeting," where a group of ducks is gathered, with one in the foreground appearing to be making a very important, and possibly dramatic, point. The other ducks are looking at the speaker with a mix of rapt attention and mild skepticism, as if debating the merits of a new business strategy involving breadcrumbs. The duck in the back, partially obscured, seems to be a junior member trying to get a word in, while the main speaker's intense gaze suggests this is a matter of utmost importance.

"That's all for today. You can now go back to your desk and waddle away. 🦆

#Birds 🪶 #Ducks #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Quack #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

An Eastern Phoebe, a plain, medium-sized songbird, about 6 inches long, with a grayish-brown back and whitish underparts, is perched on a bare tree branch against a clear blue sky. The bird is facing left, and the tree's brown, gnarled branches fill the foreground. The bird's long tail and small head are visible. A watermark in the bottom left corner reads "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia".

When an Eastern Phoebe is in the shade, it's a pheobe in the shadows, keeping things on the down-low.

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A kinglet is a tiny songbird, roughly sparrow-sized, known for its energetic and restless behavior, constantly flicking its wings. Two common species are the Golden-crowned Kinglet, identifiable by its yellow-orange and black striped crown, and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, which has a red crown in males that is usually hidden. Both have a distinctive white eyering, olive-greenish plumage, and one or two white wing bars.

For a picture of that Ruby-crowned Kinglet, you'd have to get up close and personal with the tweet-lenses.

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A close-up of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a type of woodpecker, perched on a bare tree branch against a clear blue sky. The bird has a red throat and forehead, a black and white patterned back, and a yellow-tinged, striped chest. Its beak is pointed slightly upward. (Close up - naww, this fella is 60 metres away up high in this tree. Brought into eyesight by liberal cropping of the initial image.)

He's not being yellow-bellied, that's just his natural plumage.

An abundant and widespread species in Canada, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) range spans the country from Yukon to Newfoundland.

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

An Eastern gray squirrel, on the ground, surrounded by a carpet of colorful fallen leaves in various shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple. The squirrel is captured in a crouched position, appearing to forage for food among the leaves and green grass. A tree trunk is visible on the right side of the frame, and a dirt trail is partially visible in the blurred background. The scene has a vibrant, autumnal feel.

This little forager thinks he's a movie star, stealing the scene in the magic hour. 🐿

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #Photo📷 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A close-up shot of a black squirrel sitting on a log. The squirrel is holding its paws to its mouth, with its tail curled behind it. The background is a blurry field of orange and yellow autumn leaves.

I can't believe the word "squirrel" literally means shadow-tail. It's nuts! 🐿️🌰

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #PhotoWalk🚶‍➡️ #Photo📷 #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A common grackle stands in green grass with fallen autumn leaves. The bird is black with a glossy, iridescent bluish-purple head and neck, and has a distinctive pale yellow eye.

"Don't get your feathers in a twist, but that yellow-eyed grackle has a glaring problem".

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

A mourning dove is shown on the ground, surrounded by brown and orange fallen leaves and green grass. The bird is facing forward and looking down towards the ground. The image is a close-up shot, with the bird and leaves in focus. The background is blurred. The bottom left corner of the image contains a watermark with the text "Photography by Douglas ©2025 @DarkWaterPhotoMedia".

What kind of soap does a pigeon use? 🤔
• Dove! 😆🤙

Mourning dove foraging for bugs 'n other eatables in the Credit River Valley, Riverwood Conservancy, Mississauga Ontario.

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

#Birds 🪶 #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #Photography 📷 #Art 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿