Barred Owl We Sighted At West Cranberry Tract In Whitby

Barred Owl - catching a snooze - Cranberry West Tract - Whitby

On a visit to the West Cranberry Tract at Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby, in Ontario, another keen birder pointed out to Bob and me this Barred Owl (Strix varia) perched high in a tree.  Completely at ease, it was wiling away the day quite oblivious of the interested observers nearby. Read more

Snowshoeing The Spruce Bog Trail In Algonquin Park

With snowshoes on Jean looks for beavers in Algonquin Park

Bob and I had never gone snowshoeing before, so when the chance to try out a pair presented itself, we seized it!  After skiing the Leaf Lake Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, in the morning, we ventured over to the Spruce Bog Boardwalk Trail where we knew we could walk out on the bog and really give the snowshoes a workout. Read more

Mountsberg Raptor Centre a world of hawks, owls, and eagles

photograph of Jean holding an Eastern Screech owl at the Mountsberg Raptor Centre, in Campbellville, Ontario, Canada.

Bald Eagle landing at the Mountsberg Raptor Centre

Bob and I do not profess to be expert bird watchers, but when we sighted our first ever owl, a Northern Saw-Whet Owl, a fire was lit within us.  To learn more about raptors in general, we decided to take a drive out to Campbellville, to the Mountsberg Raptor Centre, in Ontario. Read more

Trumpeter Swans On The Shores Of Lake Couchiching

Trumpeter swan A41, Washago, Ontario

Early one spring, on the shores of Lake Couchiching, Bob and I caught up with two members of the trumpeter swan family as they began their migration back to their breeding grounds in central Ontario.

Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) at one time were familiar sights in southern Ontario during periods of migration, but due to over hunting in the 18th and 19th centuries, for their feathers and their skins, as of 1886,  they had vanished from the region.  That year, a hunter at Long Point on Lake Erie shot the last known trumpeter swan that was migrating from the west.

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Hiking the Beaver Pond Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park

Beaver Pond from the trail lookout on the Beaver Pond Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park

Red Squirrel sits in snowy tree in Algonquin Park

I was so happy to have three days wide open for hiking and skiing in Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario.  It meant more opportunities to explore the trails and look for wildlife and birds.  This cute little Red Squirrel captured our interest along the Beaver Pond Trail. Read more

A Red-tailed Hawk holding a rat in Toronto

A Red-tailed Hawk holding a rat in Toronto

Red Tailed Hawk holding a rat in its yellow claws, sits on a light post in Toronto, Ontario

There are many things one can see while walking on the streets of Toronto, in Ontario, but in this guest post, Michelle and Arthur share their pictures and their story about a Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) that they recently sighted sitting on a city lamp post while holding a rat in its claws. Read more

A Gray Jay in Algonquin Provincial Park

A Gray Jay in Algonquin Provincial Park

Northern Gray Jay - Algonquin Park - Ontario

Bob and I spent three days skiing and hiking on various trails in Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, trying to make the most of the last weeks of winter here in Ontario.  We love to go looking for birds and animals, but in this case, on the Opeongo Road, the Gray Jay came looking for us. Read more

Cross-country Skiing In Algonquin Provincial Park

Jean x-country skiing in Algonquin Park - Ontario

East Gate, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

With little to no snow left in Toronto, Ontario, one would hardly expect that possibilities for skiing still existed in March in central Ontario.  But as we soon found out Algonquin Provincial Park still had tons of snow and great opportunities for skiing and snowshoeing in the spring.   Read more

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