The World Through Our Lens
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. We very pleased to find it 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
Bob and I had not entertained our youngest son and his wife for quite some time, so in early August, we got together to catch up on all the news. Not being ones to sit around and visit ad infinitum, after passing a couple of hours on our backyard deck, I suggested a bit of a walk to work up an appetite for dinner. Cedar Trail at Rouge National Urban Park is close by, and we promised that we would not stand around for hours photographing birds, but the chance sighting of a Question Mark Butterfly did hold us up for several minutes with no complaints from our company. Read more
In August 2015, Bob and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary so we wanted to further mark the occasion with a memorable trip. Never having visited Italy, we figured that a jaunt to the city of Rome would be a good place to start our 3-week vacation. After all, it is considered amongst the top ten romantic cities in the world. Read more
On any given trip into Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, Bob and I are on the lookout for wildlife. Who goes to the Park and doesn’t hope to see an animal in its natural habitat? One of the purposes of the Park is to provide a safe natural habitat for all the creatures that live within its boundaries. On this visit to the Park in early October, an Eastern Wolf gave Bob a rare opportunity to see and observe its movements. Read more
Upon learning of a family of Pied-billed Grebes at South Reesor Pond in northeast Toronto, Bob and I made it our destination for a late afternoon outing in hopes of getting a look at them. What we found were two immature Grebes with a mother whose vocalizations kept the pair in check. Read more
Late last summer, based on reports of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron being seen at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke, Bob and I finally found the time to take a spin down to that waterfront park to see if we would be lucky enough to find it. Amongst other things, I found this gorgeous Shamrock Orbweaver Spider. Read more
By word of a fellow Facebook member who frequents South Reesor Pond even more often than we do, Bob and I came to know about three young Wood Ducks that recently were relocated to this small body of water in northeast Toronto. We had occasion to photograph mature males and females at High Park in the spring, and very young hatchlings in Rouge National Urban Park a couple of years ago, so we were eager to observe a few juveniles. Read more
