The World Through Our Lens
What a thrill to have our exclusive up-close-and-personal encounters in a Blue-footed Booby colony on Isla Isabel off the west coast of Mexico. After spending a couple of days in San Blas, and with the assistance of Josefina Vazquez at Hotel Garza Canela, we lined up a full-day excursion to the small volcanic island that is located some 43 miles northwest of the tiny fishing village. Read more
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
What a delight to have winter arrive on time! Cold temperatures and lots of snow meant that our bird feeders were busy from morning until night in Ontario, Canada. And then one morning, we noticed that all was quiet in our suburban backyard. A Sharp-shinned hawk had landed. 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
While in New Zealand, we had a real mixed bag of weather conditions. Our time spent in Mt. Tongariro National Park was under grey skies for the most part with driving rain, snow, sleet or hail. Our hopes of hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing were dashed owing to strong winds, so we made the best of things and opted for some other scenic hikes, one of which was the Tawhai Falls Walk. Read more
Way before Bob and I decided to go to New Zealand, I held close to my heart the idea of one day visiting Hobbiton. When we viewed the movie, The Hobbit, I fell in love with the whimsical Hobbit Holes that Bilbo Baggins and Frodo called home. The dome-shaped dwellings captured the imagination of my inner child, and the seemingly utopian bucolic lifestyle struck a chord with me. Read more
Despite our intentions of arriving at the Leaning Tower of Pisa early in the day, we found ourselves landing at the popular tourist destination alongside hundreds of fellow sightseers. This world-famous freestanding bell tower is considered one of the most remarkable architectural structures from medieval Europe and possibly the tallest bell tower in Europe. Read more
After spending a few days in London, England, taking in several of the well known sights, Bob and I, with our teenaged son, escaped to the peaceful countryside just outside of Salisbury. On a misty morning befitting a visit to the spiritually significant standing stones, we arrived to find Stonehenge hauntingly empty of anyone but ourselves. Read more
It is safe to say that we saw many species of birds when we visited San Blas, in Mexico. Among them is this beautiful Tri-coloured Heron. Read more
When Bob and I visited San Blas on the Pacific coast of Mexico, our objective was to see some of the endemic bird species as well as others that winter in that southern locale. We had seen a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron in our hometown of Toronto a couple of years earlier. As we cruised through the mangrove jungle on our guided tour, closeup views of these rather elegant birds were fairly frequent. Read more
