Skunk Cabbage at Dickson Wilderness Area

skunk cabbage_dickson Conservation area_ontario

skunk cabbage, dickson Conservation area, cambridge, ontario

It is so much fun to go hiking and birdwatching in the springtime.  With all the migrating birds arriving daily in Ontario, we never know what surprises are in store for us at places like Dickson Wilderness Area, near Cambridge, Ontario.  The same can be said for all the tender new growth that is pushing its way up out of the cold soil.  With each passing day, new treasures are to be found amidst the bleached leaf litter on the forest floor.  Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is always one of the very first plants to emerge from the frozen earth because this plant is capable of generating its own heat and can even thaw its way through a thin veneer of ice. Read more

Wood Ducks at Grindstone Marsh in Hamilton

wood duck - grindstone marsh - hamilton

One spring, on the only clear day in a week of rainy weather, Bob and I seized the opportunity to go birdwatching.  A return trip was in order to the area of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton.  Not since the previous spring had we visited the protected areas in the Gardens’ vicinity, all of which make for great hiking and birdwatching.  It was in the Grindstone Marsh that Bob and I came upon two pairs of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) idling in the backwaters of one of the marshes. Read more

Moose enjoys spring sunshine in Algonquin Provincial Park

moose in algonquin park_ontario_spring2014 - 2

On a visit to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Bob and I were thrilled to discover a Moose (Alces alces) in a boggy area just to the side of the highway.  It was a nice spring day, so the Moose was encouraged to leave the protection of the forest and soak up the warmth of the bright sunshine. Read more

Eastern Bluebirds Near Cambridge In Ontario

photograph of a male and female Eastern Bluebird along the Brant Waterloo Road near Cambridge, Ontario.

An image of an eastern bluebird male along brant waterloo road near Cambridge, Ontario. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Bob and I took a drive down towards Cambridge to see if we could locate any of the Sandhill Cranes reported to be nesting in the area of Grass Lake.  Our first observation over the marshy lake revealed nothing to us of the Cranes’ whereabouts, but a fellow birdwatcher pointed us a little further down the dirt road where Eastern Bluebirds were preparing to nest.   They were going to have to stand in for the Cranes until a little while later. Read more

Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, Ireland

An image of Kylemore Abbey on Pollacapall Lough in County Galway, Ireland. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

An image of Kylemore Abbey in County Galway, Ireland. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

A slow tour of the Connemara region in County Galway was our aim after leaving County Mayo.  Its mix of blanket bogs, lakes, mountains and moorlands is reputed to be awe-inspiring and unspoilt, a perfect example of natural beauty.  Bob and I were off the sheets early to an already wet morning, and rain was expected to settle in for the day.  Our route to Ros an Mhil (Rossaveal) was undecided, but we intended to catch a ferryboat at noon, that is until we rounded a corner and were brought up short by the jaw-dropping beauty of Kylemore Abbey. Read more

Tree Swallows near Grass Lake in Ontario



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Tree Swallows near Grass Lake in Ontario

tree swallow, grass lake, cambridge, ontario

A sure harbinger of spring is the sight of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) staking a claim on a chosen birdhouse, and that is exactly what Bob and I witnessed on a spring weekend near Cambridge, Ontario.  A farmer had generously provided a small selection of nesting boxes at the edge of a field, and they were a hot commodity. Read more

Our Visit To Cong Abbey Ruins In Ireland

An image of the gravestones and walls at the Royal Abbey of Cong in Cong, County Mayo, Ireland. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean

It was a glorious sunny afternoon when Bob and I set off to discover Cong Abbey Ruins, which lies close to the main street of Cong in County Mayo.  The impressive ruins of the Augustinian Abbey stood proud against a bright blue sky while Bob and I immersed ourselves in the intriguing past of this important historic site. Read more

Sandhill Crane At Grass Lake In Ontario

An image of a Sandhill crane at Grass Lake near Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

A sudden change in plans had Bob and me with a free day in which to go birdwatching, an opportunity not to be missed.  Recent reports had us setting our sights on an area just west of Toronto, an area to which we had never gone birdwatching before.  It promised to be a fruitful day, and sure enough, amongst other species observed, we did sight one Sandhill Crane at Grass Lake near Cambridge, Ontario. Read more

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