https://www.facebook.com/564811613604572/

Through My Eyes - Photography by Deb Halbot

Home
Canada
Orillia, ON
Through My Eyes - Photography by Deb Halbot

'She made it a practice to be grateful for at least one thing every single day'.

06/11/2026

A little magical discovery in the woods of Oro-Medonte - the yellow Lady's Slipper!
Did you know that the 'slipper' is actually a pouch-shaped petal specially designed to trap pollinators (only temporarily)? The bright yellow colouring and musky scent of the flower attracts bees to visit and search for nectar inside the 'pouch'. Once inside, it realizes there is no nectar and attempts to exit, but can't escape the same way because the entrance folds inwards.
The trapped bee is then forced to navigate toward a tiny 'tunnel' at the back of the flower, which provides the only visible light and escape. Squeezing through this exit, the bee brushes against the plant's reproductive organs, depositing pollen from a previously visited flower and picking up fresh sticky pollen on its back.
Because the bee receives no food reward for its hard work, it quickly learns to avoid Lady's Slippers in the future. Consequently, this orchid relies on a continuous stream of fresh, "naïve" bees to ensure its survival.
Nature is just so fascinating - and beautiful!

06/07/2026

Did you ever wonder how cedar 'waxwings' got their name? Take a look at the tips of the secondary and tail feathers - you'll notice they seem as though they've been dipped in candle wax.
Those wing tips are actually waxy secretions coloured red by the pigment of the berries they consume. The length and number of red tips increase with the bird's age - 0-5 waxy tips are considered immature birds, and more than 9 tips are the older mature birds. Those with more red tips tend to nest earlier and raise more young, suggesting that the red tips signal age, maturity and social status in a flock.
Both the Cedar and Bohemian waxwings are two of the most strikingly beautiful birds in our area, and love to spot them in large numbers feasting on the berry trees!
Have a beautiful bird-filled Sunday, friends!

06/04/2026

It was amazing to watch the agility of this Black Tern as he swooped, skimmed and hovered through the clouds plucking insects in his travels!
Black Terns are rare, and have been designated a species of special concern in Ontario due to loss of wetlands, water pollution, and human disturbance.
One reason for their vulnerability is that they build their nests out of wet plant matter like cattails and lily pads that float on the water's surface just an inch or two above the water level. Sudden water level changes and waves caused by boat traffic can easily destroy these fragile nests.
It's so important to be good stewards of the wetlands, and to respect (and keep private) the locations of any nesting birds.

06/02/2026

What a marvel to observe the incredibly varied diet mama redwing blackbird provides for her babies - and just how much she is able to forage and carry in one trip! Nature never ceases to amaze!

05/31/2026

Always a perennial favourite!
Enjoy this beautiful Sunday, friends!

05/28/2026

Yesterday along the rail trail I spotted this male monarch butterfly visiting a wee milkweed plant no bigger than my index finger. Even though the milkweed is not yet in bloom, the plant stands out both visually and chemically to the monarchs. They will often land on the leaves to ingest surface moisture or sap, but for nectar, they visit neighbouring plants already in bloom for sustenance.
This male monarch's main purpose right now is to stake out and establish his territory to attract females!

05/26/2026

Never have I seen a trillium quite so vividly dark pink!
Although White Trilliums (trillium grandiflorum) turn a shade of pale pink as they age, the Pink Trillium (trillium grandiflorum f. roseum) emerges in hues of pink and holds its colour throughout the blooming cycle - the colour deepening as it ages. True Pink Trilliums are much more rare than the white or pale pink blooms, so we were very delighted to have spotted this beauty!

05/24/2026

'Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange

sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again

and fasten themselves to the high branches …'
~Mary Oliver

This dramatic sunrise lasted only moments - the sun peeking through ominous skies just long enough to illuminate newly emerging leaves.
Have a beautiful Sunday, friends! The day will be lush and green after yesterday's rain!

05/17/2026

Another little Indigo Bunting paid a wee visit to my garden yesterday! So tiny, yet so delightful!
Have a beautiful Sunday, friends! A truly gorgeous day on tap!

05/14/2026

"Trilliums"
Every spring
among
the ambiguities
of childhood
the hillsides grew white
with the wild trilliums.
I believed in the world.
Oh, I wanted
to be easy
in the peopled kingdoms,
to take my place there,
but there was none
that I could find
shaped like me.
So I entered
through the tender buds,
I crossed the cold creek,
my backbone
and my thin white shoulders
unfolding and stretching.
From the time of snow-melt,
when the creek roared
and the mud slid
and the seeds cracked,
I listened to the earth-talk,
the root-wrangle,
the arguments of energy,
the dreams lying
just under the surface,
then rising,
becoming
at the last moment
flaring and luminous --
the patient parable
of every spring and hillside
year after difficult year.
~Mary Oliver

Address

Orillia, ON

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Through My Eyes - Photography by Deb Halbot posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Photography Service in Orillia?