The World Through Our Lens
Photography from our encounters with wild animals, from our travels around the world.
Amherst Island is situated in Lake Ontario near Kingston, and for at least a couple of years, Bob and I had intended to visit it. The intention was to photograph birds of prey that winter there. Our explorations were enriched by of a healthy population of White-tailed Deer that casually foraged in different areas. Read more
After leaving Muriwai and the Gannet colony, Bob and I planned to make a stop at Ark in the Park en route back to our lodgings. Ark in the Park is a conservation area of note in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park of Auckland. Situated in Cascade Kauri Park, it is where concerted efforts are being made to restore the ecology of the area to its natural state. Read more
On what seemed a very ordinary winter day, Bob and I took a leisurely walk over to one of our local parks to escape the routine of familiar household chores. Milliken Park in Toronto, Ontario, was almost deserted. Though we scanned bushes and trees, not a single bird was seen until I noticed a solitary Cooper’s Hawk perched on a sunlit branch. Seconds later, the hawk launched into the air and nabbed a Big Brown Bat that was flying by. Read more
On a bright, sunny Saturday in mid-October, Bob and I decided to make a trip to the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, Canada. A fellow birder had reported groups of Sandhill Cranes in that vicinity where corn fields had recently been harvested. At first, we were afraid the drive would be all for naught, but in the end, we located close to 200 of these elegant birds. Read more
Throughout the lowveld savanna just south of Skukuza Rest Camp in Kruger National Park, in South Africa, are a series of scenic hills collectively known as the Renosterkoppies Hills.
On a cold winter’s day that included passing snow squalls, Bob and I ventured into Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, in hopes of seeing a Spruce Grouse. Instead, we found ourselves in the company of a Red Fox. Looking picture perfect, this Red Fox almost seemed to pose for our cameras while fine snowflakes settled on its fur. Read more
It had been several years since Bob and I came across a Northern Saw-whet Owl, the first time being in our local park in late October of 2012. It was that bird sighting that got us hooked on bird watching. It was a long interlude but not for lack of trying. Our patience and persistence finally paid off when we located this Northern Saw-whet Owl on a recent warm February day near Oshawa, Ontario. Read more
Late this summer, Bob and I popped down to Rosetta McClain Gardens in Toronto to see if we could discover any birds of note but also to look for Monarch Butterflies given the few that we had seen in our own garden over the summer. What we found was an Eastern Comma Butterfly on one of the Butterfly Bushes. Read more
Bob and I have learned so much through different groups on Facebook, and one of the areas that was brought to our attention was the Carden Alvar here in Ontario. Our second visit in mid-June was a bit late and too hot for much activity where migrating birds were concerned, but our list of sightings was still long and included this female Black Bear and her three cubs. Read more