Monarch Butterfly larvae at Tommy Thompson Park
On a nice outing to Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto, Ontario, we finally succeeded in locating some of this year’s crop of Monarch Butterfly larvae, ten in fact. We were ecstatic. Read more
Category: Wildlife photography
Photography of wildlife we have observed around the world.
A Moose cow and calf in Algonquin Park
A Moose cow and calf in Algonquin Park
Bob and I were visiting my parents at Oxtongue Lake near Algonquin Provincial Park one summer, and we decided to take a drive into the park to check on the progress of the wild blueberry crop. At one of the beaver ponds along Highway 60 where moose are known to frequent, we spotted this big Moose cow and calf beside the roadway. Read more
Monarch Butterflies Mating At Lower Reesor Pond In Toronto
What a sad summer it was here in Toronto, Ontario in 2014, because Monarch Butterflies were conspicuous by their absence. Bob and I had been monitoring sightings posted by nature lovers on Facebook, and websites such as The Insects and Arachnids of Ontario, and Butterflies and Moths of North America. We were not the only people discouraged by the poor showing of these beautiful insects so far this year. Read more
Red Lily beetles plague my Toronto Tiger Lilies
Red Lily beetles plague my Toronto Tiger Lilies
For the past several years, starting each spring and into the summer months, I have been pestered by Red Lily Beetles (Lilioceris lilii) on my Tiger Lilies . It is actually the beetles’ shiny, hard forewings that are red. These pretty little beetles stand out quite well on green plants, but they are a trick to catch and squash. I declare that I think they see me coming because, often, as I move in on their position, they drop to the earth below and essentially disappear in the shadows. It doesn’t help that, this year, I spread red cedar chips in all my gardens, so imagine trying to find a red bug on that red surface. Read more
Gray Treefrogs At Lower Reesor Pond
After a stretch of very rainy weather, Bob and I were desperate to get out in the field, and nothing pleases us more than to explore a new trail or go birdwatching in a habitat never before visited by ourselves. Such was the case when we targeted Lower Reesor Pond, a wetland in northeast Toronto, in Ontario, in Rouge National Urban Park. Our outing, as usual, was prolonged but immensely rewarding. Amongst other birds and animals seen that day were several Eastern Gray Treefrogs. Read more
Black Bear Mom and Cubs Eat Blueberries In Algonquin Park
This past summer, Bob and I once again found ourselves in Algonquin Provincial Park here in central Ontario. We had various objectives during our two-day visit to the area, and one of them was to pick wild blueberries. Having heard that the crop was more plentiful than usual, we were eager to put ourselves to the task of harvesting a few. It was quite a surprise to find that an American Black Bear and two cubs were sharing the blueberry patch with us. Read more
Green Metallic Bees In My Toronto Flower Garden
One gloriously sunny summer morning, I was taking my time in the garden with teacup in hand. That was soon replaced by my camera when I spotted some interesting insects on the False Sunflowers. One such bug that I had never noticed before was this Virescent Green Metallic Bee (Agapostemon virescens) of the Halictid Family. Read more
Cow Moose And Calf In Algonquin Provincial Park
On a drive into Algonquin Provincial Park, a few kilometres just inside the West Gate, Bob picked out a cow and calf in the ditch where they were nibbling on tender shoots and having a drink of water. Read more
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