The World Through Our Lens
During our several night stay at Il Colombaio di Cencio Vineyard near Gaiole in Chianti, Italy, Bob and I enjoyed a leisurely pace where we set our own schedule. The morning after a day trip to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Cinque Terre, we awoke to a subtle clangor emanating from the sleepy, sun-drenched vineyard. Soon after, we found ourselves helping with the grape harvest in Tuscany. Read more
It was this past spring that Bob and I finally visited the Long Point area of Ontario during the peak period of songbird migration. We had a long wish list of new birds that we would like to see, and on this list was a Northern Parula. We failed to spot any when in that area of the province but did have one spend the afternoon in our Toronto backyard soon thereafter. What a pleasant surprise! 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
Our morning started out rather ordinary with the sun shining brightly and fluffy clouds floating across the sky. Wait! What’s that? What the heck!
On a mid-June visit to Carden Alvar in Ontario, Bob and I opted to tour the area in the reverse direction from our first visit when we crossed Canal Lake at dusk. First thing in the morning provided better light for photography, and there was no lack of activity near the Osprey nests. We were hoping that the Osprey did not drop its load as they flew over! Read more
Bob and I were so excited as we set off from the pier on our mangrove swamp tour. With Chencho at the helm of our substantial launch, we were confident that many tropical birds would not allude detection. One species that caught our eye on several occasions was a Green Kingfisher, seen here perching at the edge of the San Cristobal mangrove estuary. Read more
When Bob and I headed out to Darlington Provincial Park to have a look at the Piping Plovers, it was because 4 recently-hatched babies could be observed on the beach there. They were creating much excitement in the world of birding here in Ontario. Never before had Piping Plovers nested in the Park or in Durham region. Read more
For the second visit in a row at my mom’s place, a tour of the gardens was in order, and both times found me without the camera that usually hangs around my neck. A mad dash to the house to alert Bob and to grab my camera had me ready to photograph this stunning Snowberry Clearwing Moth as it flitted from flower to flower. Read more
It was late spring when Bob and I undertook our second notable bike ride of the season, May 28, and because of the warm temperature, we opted to cycle from Scarborough to the Lake Ontario shoreline. At the first rocky breakwater east of Highland Creek Trail, we spotted 5 Whimbrels grouped on some large flat slabs of concrete. Read more