Fauquier – Nature’s Paradise

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 30 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Hard Evidence for Spring’s Glorious Arrival

After a long and dreary winter, spring has finally arrived. Being four weeks late here in the Arrow Lake region, nature is literally exploding into action. The photos below have all been shot on a single day last week: one at the Fauquier boat dock, two at home, and the other two at the Taite Creek Campsite 10 km south of our small community. Each photo is glorious testimony for the miracle of life through the re-awakening of nature after winter’s long resting period. Enjoy.

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Nature’s Stirring at the Arrow Lake

IMG_2989Violet

Wild Violet showing off its Beauty

IMG_3209HummingBird

Hummingbird on top of a Pruned Maple Tree

IMG_3224Leaf

Tree Branches within a Serrated Leaf

IMG_3220Grass

Fifty Shades of Verdant Grass

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 19 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

The Magic of Water Droplets

Recently Jodi’s poetic blog ‘creative life in between’ inspired me to search in my archives for some photos with water droplets. And just yesterday I viewed some more water droplets in Gerhard’s blog ‘kopfundgestalt’.

The five photos show the wonders of the inner life of a water droplet. You may find in them reflections of the outside world, when hit by the sun rays at just the right angle they shine like the finest diamonds, and if you look hard enough, you may find yourself encapsulated in the eternal beauty of the most precious element of life. Welcome to the world of macro photography! Enjoy.

drops 1drops 3drops 4drops 5drops 2

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 26 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Junco Posing for the Photographer

It is hard to believe. But recently as I was walking past a maple tree I noticed a little bird with a black cap, a cute little junco, sitting on a branch. Normally they fly away as soon as you point the camera in their direction. It is quite possible that he must have observed me a couple of times as I was filling the bird feeder and perhaps thought that no harm could come by staying and in gratitude would allow me to take a couple of shots. Well, if this sounds like an unbelievable story, have a look at the pictures and decide for yourself. Enjoy.

IMG_2952JuncoIMG_2951JuncoIMG_2947JuncoIMG_2946JuncoIMG_2953Junco.jpg

 

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 31 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Late Bloomers

So many people living in the northern parts of the world keep complaining about Spring taking too much time in coming. The good news from the Arrow Lake is that Winter is on the retreat although slowly and reluctantly. Where the snow has disappeared I found three kinds of flowers: one, not quite open and still hidden under a fuzzy blanket, the flower of a magnolia bush, the second, the crocuses, single and in groups, and the third, the beautiful snowdrops more than two months late. According to a German single record by Heintje snowdrops are making their appearance in February. Enjoy the photos.

IMG_2903MagnoliaIMG_2898CrocusIMG_2889SnowdropIMG_2887Crocus

IMG_2888Snowdrops

Here is the song in German Snowdrops in February:

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 32 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

More Birds and a Squirrel

On Easter Sunday we had another load of snow descending on us and it felt like winter all over again. The ground eagerly awaiting Spring was covered by more than 5 cm of snow. Our feathery friends being aware of the extended winter season gathered around our bird feeders in greater numbers than ever before. The northern flicker and her colourful mate made their appearance. I also had the stellar jays pose for me a little more confidently than their wary attitude would normally allow them to do. Then, of course, while not being a bird, the squirrel would not want to miss out on the banquet feast. Enjoy!

SBird1sBird4sBird6sBird5squirrel1

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 23 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

In Search for a Sign of Spring

Spring equinox has come and gone, and there is still snow on the ground. In my desperate search for a sign of the elusive Spring, I resorted to all kinds of tricks. Looking for animals, which read Nature’s sign posts much better than we humans can, I discovered the geese pair on the bare patches down at the Fauquier golf course and a robin on our yard pulling out from softening ground the very first earthworm. Taking a shot of the acorn I felt a little bit like I was cheating, since an acorn is a nut maturing in the fall. But it falls to the ground only in the spring to bring forth another tree. Surely. the crocus vigorously pushing through layers of leaves is a sign of spring For the hazelnut flower I had to set my macro setting to less than one cm to capture one of the tiniest flowers in the plant world. Enjoy!

Geese

When will Spring finally come? –  I guess, when the snow will be gone.

hazel nut

Hazelnut Flower

Robin

Robin looking for an Earthworm

acorn

Acorn ready to pop out

Crocus

How does the tender crocus manage to push through the leaves?