The World Through Our Lens
Photography from our encounters with wild animals, 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
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
One afternoon during our stay in Banff National Park, Alberta, Bob and I decided to take a drive from Lake Louise along the Bow Valley Parkway, a quieter highway than the Trans Canada, only two-lane versus four. We were in hopes of spotting some wildlife and were on the lookout for elk in particular. Seeing another vehicle pulled to the side of the road, we slowed to have a look. At first, we didn’t notice the Elk laying in the snow but rather thought the tourists were admiring yet another beautiful mountain peak. Read more
In mid-March of 2014, Bob and I took a drive out to Thickson’s Woods in Oshawa to look for the Great Horned Owls reported to have been seen in the tall pines there. On our way home, we took a slow drive along Hall’s Road South, which borders the Cranberry West Tract of Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby. There, we espied a small herd of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) lingering in the warm sunshine. Read more
On one of the first really warm March days of the season, Bob and I enjoyed a walk to our local park. We were thrilled to see an Opossum scouting around for some food there amid the snowdrifts, and it reminded us of the three that had visited our own backyard in late December. We had seen no sign of them since then. We were no sooner home from the park when a little visitor came calling…a very large Opossum (Didelphimorphia). Read more
Finally getting a break in the frigid winter weather, Bob and I seized the opportunity for a walk in the brilliant March sunshine at Milliken Park, in Toronto, Ontario. It seems we were not the only ones taking advantage of the warmer temperatures. An Opossum was out strolling atop the deep snow, on the search for something to eat. Read more
On a winter trip to the Huntsville area, Bob and I decided to check out the ski trails at Arrowhead Provincial Park. Despite having grown up in the vicinity, I had never visited that Park before, always opting instead to go to Algonquin Provincial Park since it was closer to home. What a delight to find a beaver just off to the side of the groomed ski trail. Read more
After arriving in Bowser the previous evening, Bob and I were eager to greet the first day of our stay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We were thrilled that Bob’s sister Claire, and husband Martin planned to take us snowshoeing on Mount Washington, which required a drive along the coast through Fanny Bay. That is where Martin urged us to pull over so we could see the huge colony of California Sea Lions that had congregated there. Read more
Bob and I were well on our way back up to the South Rim from Plateau Point at Grand Canyon National Park after a grueling 12-hours of hiking, so with our noses to the grindstone, we just focused on putting one foot in front of the other to make headway. That is why neither one of us saw the Bighorn Sheep surveying its surroundings from a ledge above the trail, just below Mile-and-a Half Resthouse. If not for other hikers mentioning sight of the animal, we would have completed our hike in total ignorance of its presence. Read more