The World Through Our Lens
On our first day in Grand Canyon National Park, after gaining a bird’s eye view of the spectacular world-famous canyon from a helicopter, we set off to explore the South Rim trails. In the afternoon, we caught a shuttle bus to the extreme western end of the trail at Hermit’s Rest. An impromptu exploration below Hermit’s Rest Lookout turned up a fleeting glimpse of this Rock Wren. Read more
During our stay at Grand Canyon National Park, Bob and I explored many sections of the South Rim Trail since we were supremely situated with our room at Maswik Lodge. After completing a guided Fossil Walk one morning, we continued along the Rim Trail towards Maricopa Point. In addition to providing excellent views of Bright Angel Trail from Lookout Point, the trail also affords suitable habitat for numerous birds in the Pinyon Pines and other shrubbery that grow tenuously at the edge of the Canyon. That is where we found this Mountain Chickadee. Read more
Of all the ancient ruins in Rome, Italy, for me it was The Colosseum that I most looked forward to seeing and exploring. We did not make straight there on our first full day in the city, but instead preferred to set the stage by checking out The Roman Forum just east of there which gave us a sneak peak of the iconic stadium from one vantage point. Read more
When Bob and I made the decision to spend a week in San Blas, in Mexico, it was not done lightly. Reports that listed the area as not the safest to travel to gave us pause for consideration, but the promise of seeing endless numbers of tropical birds had us braving the cross-country trip from Zitacuaro. We are forever grateful for having gone ahead with our plan. We saw loads of interesting birds not the least of which were numerous Black-necked Stilts. Read more
As Bob and I arranged our winter vacation in Mexico, we made a change to the plans that would allow time for birdwatching in San Blas on the Pacific Coast. That decision had us discovering myriad species of birds in that coastal area including some Roseate Spoonbills at the local Shrimp Ponds one morning. We were delighted! Read more
I’ve got to say that, on our first full day in Rome, Italy, looking for wildlife of any sort was not at the top of our list. We had too many ruins to explore, too much history on which to focus. But there we were, barely out of our hotel when Bob spotted a Hooded Crow as we ascended the steps of Il Vittoriano, just off of Piazza Venezia. Of course, we had to get a record shot for this sighting of a new species. Read more
It was so exciting to learn about a juvenile Bald Eagle that had been sighted along the shore of Lake Ontario in Ajax, Ontario. Being tied up with fall chores around our property, we had to wait a good couple of weeks before having the chance to go and look for it and were relieved to find that it was still hanging around the same area as reported. Read more
Our first destination in Italy was the capital city, Rome, where of course we spent several days touring all the ruins of the Old Quarter. While exploring Palatine Hill, I heard an unusual bird song and then spotted a pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets winging through the sky before landing in the top of a very tall tree. We were delighted! Read more
While staying at Sandoval Lake Lodge, it was customary to be wakened before dawn for an excursion around the lake at daybreak. After completing our early morning circuit of the lake, Bob and I returned to the lodge for a much needed breakfast that once again featured local fruits. Read more