The World Through Our Lens
Photography from our encounters with wild animals, from our travels around the world.
It was very late in the afternoon when Bob and I landed at Cape Royal, one of the lookout points on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Despite our rush to see the spectacular views before sunset, we took time to observe this little Northern Sagebrush Lizard seen scampering amongst the rocks right at the lip of the Canyon. Read more
As Bob and I neared Indian Garden along Bright Angel Trail at Grand Canyon National Park, we kept a keen eye for birds and animals along the way. I was conscientiously watching for snakes and so tended to scrutinize the trail in front of me to avoid stepping on one, in particular any Grand Canyon Rattlesnakes that might be sunning themselves. It was Bob who spied this Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard where it originally sat hunched on the small branch of a Catclaw Acacia. Read more
Bob and I always keep a keen eye on the goings and comings in our backyard. There is constant activity centered around the bird feeders. If it isn’t squirrels that have outsmarted our most recent positioning of the feeding stations, it is the delightful array of birds sparring for feeding rights that entertain us. What a shock when one day Bob was walking to the garden house and spotted a new little critter under the arbour seat. A Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) sat huddled in the shadows hoping to avoid detection. Read more
When Bob and I first arrived at Grand Canyon National Park, it was getting late in the day, dusk in fact, so we were eager to find our accommodations at Maswik Lodge and to have dinner. The Park is very large, and finding our way on the road system through Grand Canyon Village was taking some time. As we drove down one stretch of the pavement, adjacent to the railway track, Bob caught sight of a number of Elk making their way from one side of the roadway to the other. Read more
Bob and I had been at Grand Canyon National Park for a few days, and on top of exploring the phenomenal panoramic sights, we had also been engrossed in the observation of a variety of bird species. It was not until the morning of a guided Fossil Hike that we first came upon some Mule Deer. People wanting to join the hike were to assemble on the canyon-side patio of Bright Angel Lodge, and there, just below the stone wall edging the pathway, a family of Mule Deer was having its breakfast. Read more
As Bob and I were about to leave Montreal’s Botanical Gardens, after a day-long tour of the wonderful Mosaicultures 2013 on exhibit, we came upon a Red Fox sniffing around the various plants in one specialized garden. What a surprise to find this wild creature quite at home in urban Montreal. Read more
On a beautiful sunny day, Bob and I decided to head to the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park in search of birds that are uncommon in our own part of the province. As we approached Forks of the Credit Provincial Park near Caledon, along a quiet country road called McLaren Road, a vibrant green sludge drew our eyes to a pond at the side of the highway. When we spotted a turtle poking its head up through the surface of the water, we had to pull over for a look. The reptile turned out to be an Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta). Read more
Recently, Bob and I took the opportunity of a break in the rain for a hike along the Seaton Hiking Trail, near Whitevale, Ontario. How apt that we spotted a Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) resting at the side of the swiftly moving water on a damp rock. Now, you are probably thinking, “aren’t all frogs green?”, but the Green Frog is one of Ontario’s 13 recognized frog species. Read more
As Bob and I so often do, we walked to Toronto’s Milliken Park one afternoon in early spring. It was an unusually hot day which explained the assembly of turtles basking in the sun at the side of the park’s largest pond. I couldn’t help think of the adage, “get your ducks all in a row” because there were the turtles, all lined up in order. They certainly occupied every inch of available space on that log. Read more