Our sighting of this stunning Snowberry Clearwing moth in Ontario, Canada had us making a mad dash to the house to grab our cameras to photograph this stunning insect as it flitted from flower to flower. Read more
Whimbrels Along Lake Ontario Shoreline
It was late spring and because of the warm temperature, we opted to bike from Scarborough to the Lake Ontario shoreline in Ontario, Canada. At the first rocky breakwater east of Highland Creek Trail, we spotted 5 whimbrels grouped on some large flat slabs of concrete. Read more
A Brown Thrasher Hunts for Bugs at Carden Alvar, Ontario
The day in June that we chose for our visit to the Carden Alvar, in Ontario, Canada, was a steamy one. Our first stop was at Cameron Ranch, where friends had photographed beautiful expanses of Indian Paintbrush wildflowers only a couple of days earlier. The flowers were past their prime, but we came face-to-face with this brown thrasher as it sat on a fence post with freshly caught insects. Read more
A Great Blue Heron plays to the camera at Milliken Park
Patience is a virtue, and often when Bob and I are birdwatching, time is of the essence so patience goes out the window. On one “quick” visit to Milliken Park in Toronto, to check the progress of the recently-hatched Trumpeter Swan cygnets, what actually stole my attention was this Great Blue Heron. Bob left me to my stakeout while he enjoyed the company of the 2-week old cygnets. Read more
Black Bear With Her Three Young Cubs at Carden Alvar
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
Dog-day Cicadas Mating In The Heat Of Summer
On a sultry summer day here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I went out to the garden to tend to some chores. Imagine my surprise, as I bent to the task of deadheading my Gaillardia, when something clipped the side of my head. Seconds later, I noticed a pair of Dog-Day Cicadas mating where they lay on the pavement of the street. Read more
Our Stay At A Vineyard Retreat In Tuscany
Bob’s and my sense of adventure was high the day we set off from Rome into the rural region of Tuscany. After picking up our rental vehicle at the airport, beneath damp, grey skies, we negotiated the ring road out of Rome and soon found ourselves scooting along narrow country roads that would lead us to our farmhouse retreat at a winery near Gaiole. Read more
7 Trumpeter Swan Cygnets at Milliken Park, Toronto
For the second year in a row, the mated pair of Trumpeter Swans that have taken up residence at Milliken Park in Toronto gave birth to a new set of cygnets…7 in all this past spring! Within a couple of days, Ashton and Tango, as they are fondly known, lost one cygnet to unknown causes, but the other six are thriving. Read more
Mink Frogs Along The Mizzy Lake Trail
Along the back half of the Mizzy Lake Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park, if you hike in a counterclockwise direction as suggested, you will eventually arrive at Dizzy Lake. That is where Bob and I found dozens of frogs including several Mink Frogs. It was late in the afternoon when we crossed that particular section of wetland adjacent to the lake, and a good many frogs seemed to be contentedly basking in the sunshine while soaking in the water. Read more
Piping Plover Chicks at Darlington Provincial Park
What a thrill to learn that, this year, not one but two pairs of Piping Plovers have nested on the beach at Darlington Provincial Park here in Ontario. This is really noteworthy for three reasons. Read more