Dr. John Reaume brought back warm images of summer with a spectacular presentation of photographs of wildflowers and wildlife, at the February meeting of the Fergus Horticultural Society.
Reaume, a family physician, has been interested in nature all of his life. He became particularly interested in birds during a summer job working at Point Pelee National Park during his first and second years of university.
While there, Reaume saw his first scarlet tanager and snow bunting. He purchased a field guide to identify each type of bird and soon became hooked as a birder. As his expertise grew, he developed a further interest in the local wildflowers and naturally took up photography to record his sightings.
Point Pelee National Park is a major migration route for Ontario songbirds. The park is second to none in the celebration and protection of the diversity of habitats. Birders from all over North America congregate to record sightings and photograph various species, always hoping to see a new find.
Reaume pointed out that the park provides a necessary refuge and refueling area for an extensive variety of migrants.
With each spring’s migration, Point Pelee’s Festival of Birds allows photographers to capture the return of the songbirds first hand.
During the past 22 years, Reaume continued to develop an eye for photographing Ontario’s flora and fauna. Many images of have been captured at his 100 acre property in Mount Forest, and further afield into Bruce and Grey Counties.
His collection of local bird and orchid images are particularly noteworthy. The warbler collection is especially breathtaking as those birds flit to and fro and are very difficult to photograph.
Reaume’s photographic studies of the pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) are stunning. The pitcher plant is the common name for a perennial that adapts to wet, marshy, and boggy habitats that are low in soil nutrients. The plant is considered to be a carnivore. It secretes a liquid that attracts insects, which, in turn, causes their demise by trapping them.
The beauty of the plant is in the rosettes of leaves that are modified into tubular, trumpet-like structures. The plant will generally bear a single, large nodding flower.
In our area, the pitcher plant can usually be found growing with trilliums and Jack-in-the-Pulpits.
Reaume has also photographed the many owls of the area. His images of the large Great Gray Owl are certainly worth a look.
Reaume explained that the three foot carnivore migrates sporadically in winter in response to prey availability. It lives on a steady diet of mice and voles. Due to the bird’s acute hearing ability, snow cover does not necessarily protect prey from detection.
By sound, the Great Gray can locate a mouse under 18 inches of snow. It will plunge through the crusted snow to pluck out the helpless mouse.
Photographing any owl requires patience. Generally, owls are quiet and very discreet. Most are usually well camouflaged against the bark of the tree.
Reaume feels that it is a real treat to find one perched on a post or on top of a tree. Make sure the camera is ready to take lots of shots.
A visit to his website, http://www.johnreaumephoto.com/Photo/Welcome.html,will reveal many other photos of landscapes, amphibians, butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies, frogs, insects, lichens, loons, mammals, moths, mushrooms, reptiles, salamanders and snakes.
Reaume outlined his process of learning to photograph wildlife.
It truly has been a labour of love of the subject matter and for the photographic process. He explained how his first cameras grew into more elaborate equipment with more and more extensive lenses.
Reaume pointed out that camera lenses can add more creative control to digital photography. Choosing the right lens for the subject is essential to create the best photographs.
Many of his photographs have been published in nature periodicals, cover shots on the recent Breeding Birds of Ontario as well as the Royal Ontario Museum field guides, Birds of Ontario and Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario.
As past president of the Saugeen Field Naturalists he still plays an active role on its board and program committees.
He is a practicing family doctor in Mount Forest for the past 18 years, where he lives with his wife and son.
