The World Through Our Lens
Photography of birds we have observed in the wild.
At the height of the past spring’s migration, Bob and I made a plan to check out Ashbridge’s Bay Park at the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Toronto. Hundreds of sightings had been reported there the previous week, so we were up much earlier than usual and on site in the parking lot before the sun’s rays were much above the horizon. It was fairly late in the morning, however, when we discovered this female American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) in the middle of a dense thicket of trees. Read more
One summer, two Juvenile Least Bitterns spent their time hanging out at Colonel Samuel Smith Park on the lakeshore in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. During one of our hikes at the park we found the two Least Bitterns near Whimbrel Point. Read more
Bob and I recently visited Lower Reesor Pond in north Toronto because it is fairly close to our home and the day’s weather was uncertain. There had been recent reports of a Green Heron sighted there, and we were keen to see for ourselves what waterfowl might be on location. One of the birds that pleased us that day was a Solitary Sandpiper. Read more
One summer, Bob and I made numerous trips to Tommy Thompson Park, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. During one trip to the park, we were quite pleased to find an Osprey perched on a tree stump in the middle of the first large pond in the wetlands. Read more
Bob and I take regular walks in a local park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, because we find that the variety of habitats found there encourages an assortment of birds and animals at any given time of the year. One walk we were stunned by the numbers of cedar waxwings we sighted. Read more
Of the various Warblers frequenting our backyard one spring, it was the Pine Warblers and this Nashville Warbler that made the longest stays. We experienced long periods without rain that spring so the water fountain on our property was a real attraction for a lot of migrating birds. Read more
What a delightful day we had birdwatching at Ashbridge’s Bay Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a park we had never visited before. One Sunday this past spring, Bob and I ventured there because it seemed to offer some of the best prospects for seeing migrating birds. Although more expert eyes probably picked out umpteen species, we managed to sight over a dozen ourselves including this little gem, a Palm Warbler. In breeding plumage, its dull red cap is diagnostic. Read more
It had been two weeks since Bob and I first spotted the two Trumpeter Swan cygnets at Milliken Pond, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and they seemed to be thriving. We dropped by the park one day to check on their well-being and were thrilled to see them paddling along with nary a care in the world. Read more
After hearing about the scores of different bird species being seen at Ashbridge’s Bay Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, one spring, we got up early one morning in mid-May to check out the lakeside park where hundreds of birds often rest after crossing Lake Ontario. As luck would have it, we came upon two Scarlet Tanagers near the park’s parking lot. Read more
How exciting to find that the pair of Trumpeter Swans at our local park in north Scarborough now have two recently-hatched offspring to care for. As Bob and I looked on, the cygnets kept very close to “mom” on the shore of the pond… Read more
