Mer Bleue |

As a street photographer, I strive to capture those fleeting moments that would otherwise be lost forever. I suppose I could plop any old image from my archive into this post and it would fit the theme of this week’s photo challenge.

However I thought I’d turn to nature since I have been spending a heck of a lot more time enjoying the natural surroundings of Mother Nature here in Ottawa, than I could in Toronto. Our capital city is alive with greenery, waterways and wildlife, and I enjoy every minute of it. Here is an image I shot while on a hike last fall in Mer Bleue. You can read about my hike here and lose yourselves in the beautiful landscape.

The image below is a capture (or almost capture) of the ephemeral feeding ways of a chickadee.

Since moving to Ottawa this summer, I have been itching for autumn to arrive so I could see the spectacular colours in Gatineau Park. I think I had visited the park at this time of year, once, many years ago, but I don’t think I have any pictures from that visit. And besides, I wasn’t that into taking pictures back then anyway.

So, since the weather has been perfect here this past week, I was really looking forward to making the trip out there this weekend… but it didn’t happen. Instead, our friends talked us into visiting Mer Bleue Bog. The disappointment of not seeing Gatineau Park almost made me want to skip this trip and do some work around the house.

THANK GOD I DIDN’T!!!

Mer Bleue

Mer Bleue is easily the most stunning bit of scenery I’ve seen since moving to Ottawa. Mer Bleue is a 7,700 year old bog (yes, that is not a typo) located about twenty minutes east of Ottawa that possesses an eco-system that more closely resembles that of the Arctic than the Ottawa Valley. It is home to a vast array of plant life and wildlife, and is one of the most studied bogs in the world due to its characteristics.

There are apparently more than twenty kilometres of hiking trails, but we chose to walk the 1km boardwalk that leads visitors directly through the bog and surrounding forest.

My friends told me to bring my camera, so I simply brought my trusty 18-55, but I think this place is deserving of a wide angle and a macro lens combo, as well as several hours of free time.

Here are some of the sights that caught my eye on this initial visit…

And then I was surprised to find out that there was a spot where we could feed chickadees. Who knew that this little exercise could have such a calming effect on a band of highly energetic kids…