The World Through Our Lens
Recently, Bob and I took the opportunity of a break in the rain for a hike along the Seaton Hiking Trail, near Whitevale, Ontario. How apt that we spotted a Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) resting at the side of the swiftly moving water on a damp rock. Now, you are probably thinking, “aren’t all frogs green?”, but the Green Frog is one of Ontario’s 13 recognized frog species. Read more
After leaving the Waterford Crystal Factory, Bob and I did some hasty research and selected Dunmore East (Irish: An Dun Mor Thoir) , a small fishing village south of Waterford in Ireland, as a likely destination that seemed of interest. When we pulled into the sleepy community, it immediately had us feeling right at home. Read more
Bob and I were delighted when we spotted a Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) sitting below the nesting hole of two woodpeckers at Second Marsh, near Oshawa, Ontario. Read more
A visit to Second Marsh in Oshawa is great at any time of the year, but is especially rewarding for birdwatchers. On a visit to the protected wetland, Bob and I were thrilled to see, not one, but many Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula). At our own home in Toronto, we are lucky to see a Baltimore Oriole once every few years. Read more
The shimmer on the street below our hotel window betrayed a light drizzle that had dampened the City of Waterford. The House of Waterford Crystal was a short walk from the Granville Hotel so we were not deterred by the weather but set out on foot to check out the world-famous crystal manufacturer. Read more
It was yet another unseasonably hot day when Bob and I struck out from Glendalough in the direction of Baltinglass, which brought us nearer to the Brownshill Portal Tomb in Ireland. Read more
Our visit to Second Marsh Wildlife Area in Oshawa was very rewarding. Not only is that area of land very interesting and beautiful to walk, but the myriad habitats attract many different bird species, so it is a birdwatcher’s delight. Bob and I were all set for a leisurely stroll as we patrolled the hiking trails in search of wildlife, and some of the first birds we saw were Tree Swallows. Read more
On a rather damp Sunday afternoon, Bob and I seized a reprieve from the rain for a hike along the Seaton Hiking Trail north of Whitevale, in Ontario. From the lookout at the dam, we observed numerous Barn Swallows darting about the surface of the water, but also watched as a pair of Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) made repeated forays into the bulrushes where the water was calm. Read more
The trees at Second Marsh Wildlife Area were bubbling with melodious birdsong when Bob and I visited there one spring, and when we caught a flicker of yellow in the top of a brightly lit tree, our eyes honed in on a Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia). The little male has the trademark chestnut streaking that help make these birds recognizable, and it pleased us that the warbler was singing his song. Read more