Jane Walker's Cards

GALAPAGOS – Bartolome Island

Posted on February 2, 2018 by janewalkerscards

Rock and Sand

(This blog about Bartolome Island contains numerous photos which are displayed in a mosaic pattern. Please try clicking on any one of the photos in each of the 3 groups and it should enlarge it and the others if you arrow along.)

One of the most visited and photographed places that our Photo Tour Trekkers visited in the Galapagos is the barren island known as Bartolome. It is located in Sullivan Bay to the east of Santiago Island. The most recognizable landmark is Pinnacle Rock which is a volcanic cone formed when magma was expelled from an underwater volcano. We could see Pinnacle Rock in the distance when our 2 zodiacs landed on the beautiful white sand beach. The sand really contrasted with the rugged black lava rocks and pristine aqua waters of the bay. When the volcano exploded , the sea water created this giant formation made up of many thin layers of basalt. We walked amidst various volcanic formations including spatter and tough cones. Some of my photos capture these formations.

Sand and Lava

Rock and Sand

Pinnacle Rock

Linda on a Tough Trail

Lava Formations

Lava Formation 2

Bartolome Cliffs

A Few Cacti

Moon Landing or Bartolome-

Our group walked carefully on the very uneven surface. We were amazed by the various types of lava formations which had been created when the lava cooled over 3 million years ago. I believe that the many photos which I took of small sections of the rough trail beneath our feet will make some interesting and creative framed prints.

A Tough Hike

No Mans Land

Bartolome is home to the Galapagos penguin, the second smallest penguin species in the world. The Galapagos penguins have suffered various challenges to their existence but this specie is slowly recovering. We were fortunate enough to see a few perched on the rocky shore and one swimming gracefully as we headed back to Archipell I just before sunset.

Galapagos Penguin Swimmimg by the Zodiac

(Information taken from the Galapagos Conservancy website)

Posted in Excursions, Galapagos, Nature Photography, Photographs of Wildlife, Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged Galapagos, Galapagos Penguins, Lava Fornations, nature, outdoors, photography, Pinnacle Rock | 8 Comments

GALAPAGOS POSTS REVISITED

Posted on January 28, 2018 by janewalkerscards

This gallery contains 38 photos.

Yesterday I sent out 2 posts with photos from my recent trip to the Galapagos Islands. Family and friends had been asking to see the photos from the photo tour that Linda and I took which left on November 30th. … Continue reading →

More Galleries | 15 Comments

12 Days of Photos from my Galapagos Adventure Dec. 2017 (First Set)

Posted on January 27, 2018 by janewalkerscards

My friend Linda and I had an amazing adventure in early December travelling with James Cowie owner of PhotoTrekkerTours and 11 other guests to Quito and the Galapagos Islands. We took 2 “field trips” each day, going on zodiacs from our catamaran along with a naturalist who explained the geology and the wildlife on the northern and eastern islands. Trails were rough and often steep but there was always a helping hand to assist with our camera gear. I would highly recommend this trip to any photographer wanting to get “up close and personal” with wildlife that you won’t see anywhere else in the world!

Posted in Excursions, Nature Photography, Photographs of Birds, Photography | 10 Comments

12 Days in the Galapagos (Set 2)

Posted on January 27, 2018 by janewalkerscards

We visited the following Islands (San Cristobal, Genovesa, Bartolome, Santa Cruz, Floreana, and Espanola) after leaving Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The flight to San Cristobal was apr. 1000 miles and after reaching that destination, we boarded the Archipell I for the trip of a lifetime…especially for people who love to take nature photos. James Cowie was amazing. He has the perfect disposition and photographic skills to lead his tours to places all over the world.

Here are some more photos that are in no particular order. With 2 adventures a day, which began VERY early, it was hard to limit the number of photos one took. I had over 8000 when I got home! Sorting through them has been a monumental task.
I may add some more in the future. I haven’t posted any pictures of Quito and it is a beautiful city 10,000 feet above sea-level.

American Oyster Catcher Baby Nazca Boobie Baby Sea Lion Waiting for Mother SMALL Back to Civilization in Santa Cruz Blue Footed Boobie Brown Pelican-2 Darwin Finch on Cactus 3 Floreana Island near Days End G17-109 Archipell 1 Meet and Greet by James G17-191 Jane and Linda at Sea by James G17-193 Boarding the Zodiac Group of Marine Pair of baby Sea Lioms Hiking Espanola Nazca Boobie Head Shot Our Catamaran Archipel II Pair of Nazca Boobies Penguin Swimmimg Rocky Cliffs Espanola Small Sea Lion on Beach SMALL Sea Lion on the Bench Santa Cruz SMALL Tortoise on Grass Small Winged Albatros

Posted in Excursions, Galapagos, Nature Photography, Photographs of Birds, Photographs of Wildlife, Photography, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Outside My Door

Posted on January 11, 2016 by janewalkerscards

N2-Carduelis Flammea-188M for presentation

N2-Male Downy Woodpecker-188M for presentation

N2-White Breasted Nuthatch-188-M for presentation

It is now winter and a new post is long overdue.

I say it is winter but it has not felt like it along the shore of Lake Ontario. Here it is, nearly 2 weeks into January, and so far this winter we’ve only had about 2 inches of snow and temperatures many degrees above average. Today, it has been raining for hours with at least 1.5 inches falling. That is about to change. Temperatures have started to drop and with that we will have freezing rain and then snow.

With a heavy snowfall I find that the birds arrive at my many feeders in droves! Actually I can’t wait to see “who” arrives tomorrow morning!

Today I am going to share something different with you. It is a video that I created with the help of my friend, Debi. It show-cases photos taken “outside my door” and a few from down the road during different seasons. All of the photos are mine, the music was “borrowed” and credited to the maker, and I presented this slideshow at one of our Oshawa Camera Club meetings early in 2015.

Please double-click on the arrow below and enjoy the show! If it doesn’t work, I will repost it!

Posted in Flower photography, Gardens, Nature Photography, Nature Video, Our Farm, Photographs of Birds, Photography | Tagged bird photography., Fall Gardens, farm scenes, flowers, Gardens, jane walkers cards, nature, Nature Photography, Newcastle, song birds, summer gardens, Tulips, wild birds, wildlife photography, winter | 21 Comments

Squirrel Proof? …..I Don’t Think So!

Posted on October 7, 2015 by janewalkerscards

Many people find red squirrels “adorable” and I’m no exception! Their beautiful chestnut coloured fur, bushy red tails, off-white under-bellies, tufted ears and white-rimmed eyes make them a great subject for nature photographs. Here is a group of photos that I have been saving in a folder this summer.

We have these little mammals around the farm. As well as wild seeds, they eat food that I put out for the birds. Some of the squirrels even eat the watermelon meant for the mockingbirds and butterflies!

This little red squirrel also seemed to be a bit devious and “ambidextrous”. Look closely at the series below. This round red peanut feeder is meant for birds. “Squirrel proof”, it definitely is NOT! Pay particular attention to the third photo…

Posted in Gardens, Nature Photography, Our Farm | Tagged bird feeders, close-ups, Fall Scenery, garden visitors, natural, nature, Nature Photography, Nature Photos, Newcastle, red squirrel, squirrel proof feeders, squirrels, sunflower seeds, Sunflowers, wildlife photography | 15 Comments

A Summer of Beautiful Blooms

Posted on September 17, 2015 by janewalkerscards

It is difficult to realize that summer is drawing to a close as we are still experiencing July-like weather with very warm days and nights and light summer breezes. Nearly every day is filled with sunshine and some humidity. Perfect growing weather! It is hard for me to do anything inside so I’ve been very lax in keeping up with my blog.

The summer of 2015, although it began wet and cool, was perfect for my gardens. Our grass did not dry up in August and the perennials have continued to bloom beautifully.

Many of the photos that I am going to post were taken with my Canon 100-400 mm. telephoto lens which I normally use for my wildlife pictures. It allows me to focus nicely on the individual blossoms, especially the centres of the flowers. A few of the garden pictures were shot with my Tamron 18 – 270 mm. lens.

I am also updating my Flickr site today. Feel free to click on the link in the right-hand sidebar to see a few more photos.

Posted in Flower photography, Our Farm, Photography, Summer Gardens | Tagged Asiatic Lilies, Climbing Roses, cone flowers, daisies, day lilies, Digitalis, Fosgloves, foxgloves, Hostas, Japanese Anemone, phlox, poppies, Purple Hydrangeas, summer flowers, summer gardens, Sunroom, yellow lilies | 10 Comments

Attracting Baltimore Orioles……My Secret

Posted on July 29, 2015 by janewalkerscards

Since creating my protected areas for birds, I was always hopeful that I could attract Baltimore Orioles. If I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of these elusive birds, it was early in May. My attempts to keep them around my bird gardens were quite futile.

I had always read that the trick was to put oranges out and also to purchase oriole nectar feeders. I did both of these things but found that after a visit or two in the early spring, the oranges would spoil without a sign of even a nibble. I wondered if the problem was the lack of a stream near our house. Early this year I read that orioles love grape jelly. Thinking it was worth a try, I found some different containers, an oriole feeder with a well for nectar, a half orange, and jelly.

I was in luck! In May, shortly after setting up a few homemade feeders and those that I purchased, I saw a pair of Baltimore Orioles using the different feeders. By far, the favourite food was the jelly. I eventually gave up on the oranges because unless I hollowed them out and filled them with grape jelly, they were ignored. After a short hiatus, the pair were back with their young! I took photos of them through my front glass door so those that I will share with you may not be the best quality. Also, the various feeders and perches are functional rather than works of art. The one pretty purple one confused one of the little “guys”. You’ll see him trying to eat a glass berry!

It is the end of July. I rarely see the parents but numerous times a day the juveniles come either together or on their own for their treat.

If you want to attract orioles, you just might want to invest in a few jars of grape jelly and find a way to hang them in your garden.

Posted in Gardens, Photographs of Birds, Photography | Tagged Baltimore Orioles, bird feeders, bird garden, bird photos, birds of Ontario., grape jelly, juvenile orioles, Ontario, oranges for oriole, Oriole Feeders | 11 Comments

Perfect Peonies

Posted on June 6, 2015 by janewalkerscards

On May 28th., I was in Oshawa and luckily had my camera with me. With 30 minutes to spare before an appointment, I decided to visit the Oshawa Botanical Gardens at the Children’s Arena, 155 Arena St. I realized that the Peony Festival wasn’t scheduled until June 13th. but often, the earliest peonies bloom before the festival.

I wasn’t to be disappointed! Most of the tree peonies, with their splendid giant blossoms, were at their peak. A few of the bush peonies were also in bloom.

Although it was nearly noon and a very sunny day, I managed to stand in the shade or focus on some peonies that happened to be shaded by some larger trees nearby. The lighting was tricky but I was pleased with the results of a few shots which I will share with you.

It is great to attend the Peony Festival, however, a sneak peek ahead of the event is often the best time to take photos especially if you use a tripod. It is a very popular event and throngs of people attend. I will include the link for your information. https://www.oshawa.ca/things-to-do/peony-festival.asp

Posted in Events, Excursions, Flower photography, Gardens, Photography, Spring Flowers | Tagged Children's Arena, deep burgundy flowers, flower photography, Oshawa Botanical Gardens, Oshawa Events, Oshawa Peony Festival, peony buds, pink flowers, spring blossoms, tree peonies | 10 Comments

The Many Colours of Spring

Posted on June 1, 2015 by janewalkerscards

With the warmer weather of the past few weeks, my garden beds have put on a wonderful show of colour. Many of the bulbs that I have planted over the years have multiplied. I add a few new packages of tulips and daffodils each Fall so my collection is expanding. For little time spent and a modest amount of money, spring bulbs are the best!

Since gardening is only one of my pass-times, I’m afraid that I can’t keep up with the weeding and as summer progresses, it becomes more evident. Fortunately, the blossoms in my Spring gardens are able to hide the little weeds around them.

Although I own a macro lens, I tend to use my telephoto (Canon 100-400 mm.) I find it works very well, especially on single blossoms, nicely blurring the background when I use f 7.1 or even f 8. and “spot metering”. Of course, I have to get back quite a distance from the flower and crouch at eye level with my subject but I still seem to capture enough detail on the petals as I am accustomed to hand-holding this stabilized lens. For photos below and on the flower collection on Flickr, I did not use a tripod. With my macro 100 mm lens, a tripod is a must. It is always a good idea to use a tripod with any lens but I do not follow my own advice!

Below, I will share a few of the many garden photos that I’ve taken recently. To see more of them, please go to my Flickr site. Just look to the right-hand side of this page and click on one of the flowers. My Flickr site also has many other nature pictures that I have taken in past years. I hope you enjoy them!