It was almost exactly a year earlier that Bob and I had occasion to observe a family of Red Foxes in Algonquin Provincial Park, and here we were, once again, in the company of the same vixen with a brand new litter of kits. Read more
Category: Photography
Photography of inspirational events and people, places, animals, and landscape from our travels around the world.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth at Oxtongue Lake
If ever you have seen a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, you were probably mesmerized as we were by the sheer look of its see-through wings and the way it hovers like a hummingbird. Read more
Northern Flicker Flashes Some Yellow
Bob and I were surprised when we visited Oxtongue Lake, Ontario, in late April to see a northern flicker, or Yellow-shafted Flickers as they are also known. On the first day alone, we saw no less than eight of these birds, six at one time in a leafless deciduous tree. Read more
The Courtship Ritual of Cedar Waxwings
My childhood home at Oxtongue Lake holds a very special place in my heart, and we visit there often. Every season has something special to offer and to excite Bob and me. In early June, it was the nesting pair of returning Eastern Bluebirds that first captured our attention, but with expansive views from mom’s sunroom windows, we saw at least a dozen other species of birds including four pairs of Cedar Waxwings. Read more
A Wilson’s Snipe at Ontario’s Carden Alvar
Bob and I came home from Ontario’s Carden Alvar very satisfied with our experience in that unique habitat. The combination of grasslands, forests, shrublands and wetlands creates a landscape that is not only favoured by a wide variety of wildlife but also is attractive to those people who go in search of the birds and animals that live there. One such bird that we managed to see was a Wilson’s Snipe. Read more
Visiting the Spanish Steps in Rome
On the afternoon that Bob and I landed in Rome, Italy, we were in dire need of a stretch given the long hours of travel time from Toronto. Our accommodation was centrally located in the Old Quarter so The Spanish Steps were less than ten minutes by foot from the hotel lobby. It seemed a likely destination given its close proximity. Read more
White Ibis At The Shrimp Ponds In San Blas
What great fun to set off exploring the vicinity around San Blas, Mexico, in search of wildlife. The morning that Bob and I scoped out the shrimp ponds on the outskirts of this small fishing community, quite a variety of birds met our searching eyes, most of which we had never seen before. Among those plying the water for something to eat was this impressive White Ibis. Read more
A Brown Thrasher at Carden Alvar
Our first time visiting the Carden Alvar had Bob and me astonished by the myriad sounds of nature that combined into a marvelous symphony: choruses of frogs, whirring of Wilson’s Snipes, echoing conk-la-rees from the Red-winged Blackbirds, and Savannah Sparrows raising their voice in song. On several occasions, all were overshadowed by another lively bit of birdsong that had us mystified…until we finally spotted this Brown Thrasher. Read more
A Black-throated Blue Warbler in our Garden
One day in early May, as I returned home from doing some errands, I found Bob tied up on the telephone. He no sooner hung up the receiver but what he declared, “there’s a new bird in our back apple tree!” It turned out to be a male Black-throated Blue Warbler. Read more
Blanding’s Turtle At The Carden Alvar
Bob and I had been looking forward to getting up to the Carden Alvar in Ontario, Canada, for at least a couple of years. I was filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing a number of early spring migrants and birds that favour the specialized habitat of the alvar plain, so it came as a pleasant surprise to also come across a rare Blanding’s Turtle. Read more