The World Through Our Lens
Photography of inspirational events and people, places, animals, and landscape from our travels around the world.
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
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
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
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
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
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
The estate property of Ashford Castle boasts a dense, healthy forest thanks to the efforts of previous owners Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness and his eldest son, Lord Ardilaun. Sir Benjamin had thousands of trees planted during his occupancy of the castle after acquiring it in 1852, and in later years, when the estate passed to Arthur, he expanded the plantings to create extensive woodlands. Read more
It had been a long day prior to our arrival at Ashford Castle, having left Killarney that morning, explored the Cliffs of Moher, and subsequently hiked about The Burren and discovered the history of Poulnabrone Dolmen. Ashford Castle is located in the picturesque village of Cong on the shores of Lough Corrib in County Mayo, and when we first spotted the magnificent sprawling edifice, we were in disbelief. It would be our “hotel” for the next couple of days, and it was strikingly impressive. Read more
It was very late in the afternoon when Bob and I came by the famous landmark that is Dunguaire Castle, and the place was pretty much deserted. It was en route to Ashford Castle, our accommodation for the night, that we happened upon this ancient castle near Kinvara. Dunguaire Castle sits on a rocky outcrop on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay in County Clare. Its simple yet magnificent architecture features a 75-foot tower, and both the tower and the defensive wall have been meticulously restored to their original condition.