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.
Moose Cow And Calf In Algonquin Park
Bob and I decided to take a drive into Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, one summer, and at one of the beaver ponds along Highway 60 in the park we spotted this moose cow and calf beside the road. Read more
Monarch Butterflies Mating At Lower Reesor Pond
What a sad summer it was here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 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 that year. Read more
Red Lily Beetles Plague My Tiger Lilies
For the past several years, starting each spring and into the summer months, I have been pestered by Red Lily Beetles on my Tiger Lilies . These beetles stand out quite well on green plants, but they are a trick to catch and squash. I declare 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.
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Eastern Gray Treefrogs At Lower Reesor Pond
After a stretch of very rainy weather, we were happy to get out in the field, and we visited Lower Reesor Pond, a wetland in Rouge National Urban Park in Ontario, Canada. Our outing, as usual, was immensely rewarding. Along with birds and animals, we saw several Eastern Gray Tree Frogs. Read more
Black Bear Mom and Cubs Eat Blueberries In Algonquin Park
One summer a few years ago, Bob and I once again found ourselves in Algonquin Park here in central Ontario, Canada. 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 were these Virescent Green Metallic Bees (Agapostemon virescens) of the Halictid Family. Read more
Cow Moose And Calf In Algonquin Provincial Park
On a drive into Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, 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
A Groundhog explores the marsh at Milliken Park
On a spring day, Bob and I visited Milliken Park, in Toronto, to see what’s new. In light of all the migrating birds returning from the south, we thought perhaps we might spot some warblers or sparrows. Instead, Bob observed an Opossum scurrying for its den just as a heavy downpour descended upon us, while I was witness to a Groundhog (Marmota monax) dashing across an open expanse of grass and then taking cover in thick underbrush. Read more