Photography

Grey Catbird At Ashbridge’s Bay Park In Toronto

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At the peak of bird migration this past spring, Bob and I headed to Ashbridge’s Bay on the Lake Ontario waterfront in the hopes of sighting a variety of bird species all in one go. Reports had been pouring in about the large numbers of warblers and other songbirds seen there over the previous week, fresh from their flight across the wide expanse of the smallest of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario. At its maximum width, the lake is 53 miles (85 km) across. Amongst several bird species that we photographed that day was this Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). Read more

Cliff Swallows At Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto

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Cliff Swallows At Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto

But for a fellow birdwatcher posting a photo to Facebook of the Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) nesting at the Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto, neither Bob nor I would ever have known such a colony existed. It was the structural intricacy of their nests that had us making a beeline to The Beach for a look. Read more

Rose-breasted Female Grosbeak In Our Backyard

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In years past, on a couple of rare occasions, we have had a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak drop by our backyard during spring migration. This past spring, a pair of males spent several days around our property enjoying the bird food and water fountain before moving on. Bob and I were pleasantly surprised late one afternoon to see that a female Rose- breasted Grosbeak had come to join in the free-for-all. Read more

A Pine Warbler in my Toronto backyard

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A Pine Warbler in my Toronto backyard

One of the first migrating warblers to drop by our backyard one spring was a Pine Warbler. It hung about our property for a good week and a half. Pine Warblers are one of the earliest spring migrants having departed their wintering grounds in late February. It was such a pleasure to see its little burst of colour amid all the bare branches of our trees and shrubs. Read more

Magnolia Warbler in our Toronto Backyard

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Magnolia Warbler in our Toronto Backyard

For some reason, this past spring resulted in way more migrating birds visiting our backyard than usual. Either that or Bob and I have just become much more observant. One day, as I scoured the birch tree in search of the House Wren that was building its nest, I spotted a flash of yellow then saw that this Magnolia Warbler had alighted on one of the branches. Read more

Raccoon Mother With Cubs Nesting In A Toronto Tree

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Raccoon Mother With Cubs Nesting In A Toronto Tree

Bob and I had taken a drive down to Queen Street East here in Toronto to check out the Cliff Swallows nesting at the Harris Water Treatment Plant. On the way home, we decided to make a quick stop at a shoreline City Park where we caught up with some Baltimore Orioles and a number of Bank Swallows, but not much else was happening there that afternoon. Then, another birdwatcher took us “under her wing” and escorted us to a tree where a family of Raccoons (Procyon lotor) was known to be nesting. Read more

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Male In Our Backyard

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I was over the moon one day when I looked out the kitchen window and saw this Rose-breasted Grosbeak hanging off the suet feeder in my backyard, in Toronto, Ontario. All that I could discern was the striking white patches on the jet black back and wings. Read more

Baltimore Orioles In My Toronto Backyard

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Bob and I have become somewhat more skilled at spotting songbirds owing to increased diligence, and marginally better at identifying those birds that we do see. On one recent day, we made a field trip to Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough where we saw a pair of Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) as well as some other migrating birds. Baltimore Orioles are very easy to spot and identify and always thrilling to observe. Upon our return home, we were surprised to find a pair of these colourful birds in our own backyard. Read more

A Groundhog explores the marsh at Milliken Park

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On a spring day, Bob and I visited Milliken Park, in Toronto, to see what’s new. In light of all the migrating birds returning from the south, we thought perhaps we might spot some warblers or sparrows. Instead, Bob observed an Opossum scurrying for its den just as a heavy downpour descended upon us, while I was witness to a Groundhog (Marmota monax) dashing across an open expanse of grass and then taking cover in thick underbrush. Read more

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Cliff Swallows At Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto

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A Pine Warbler in my Toronto backyard

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Magnolia Warbler in our Toronto Backyard

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Raccoon Mother With Cubs Nesting In A Toronto Tree

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