The Twelve Bens On A Misty Day In County Galway

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photograph of clouds over Muckanaght Mountain in the Twelve Bens in Ireland.

from right - benfree mountain - muckanaght mountain - bencullagh mountain - twelve bens in ireland

Before departing Kylemore Abbey, Bob discovered that we were in need of some cash and videotapes for his camera.  Our route was chosen for us.  We had to drive along the coast towards Letterfrack and Clifden in search of a banking machine and some shops that might sell camera gear.  Supplies in hand, all that was left to do was get to Rossaveal and hop on the ferry to the Aran Islands  where we would spend the next couple of days.  En route, a serendipitous decision by Bob had us veering off into the lonesome countryside towards several of the Twelve Bens Mountains. Read more

A Hornets nest in Milliken Park in Toronto

A Hornets nest in Milliken Park in Toronto

hornets nest in tree in milliken park - toronto - ontario 6

Last week, Bob and I walked over to Milliken Park to check up on the Trumpeter Swan Cygnets and search for Monarch Butterflies.  As we busied ourselves photographing a beautiful Monarch specimen on a milkweed flower, we became distracted by numerous Cedar Waxwings perching in the top of a dead tree.  We were happy to see that a number of those birds were still at the park.  When I glanced into the crown of a nearby maple tree, I was dumbfounded as to what I was seeing.  It looked like a huge turban made out of cloth, but then I recognized it as a hornet”s nest.  It was huge! Read more

Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis At Tommy Thompson Park

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monarch butterfly chrysalis at tommy thompson park - ontario 7

One summer, Bob and I made for Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  We were certain, given the large number of Monarch Butterfly larvae that we had seen before, that we would be able to find a chrysalis on one of the many Milkweed plants.  Our memory served us well as to the locations of a good share of the well-advanced larvae, but it took us two days to actually locate a Monarch’s chrysalis amid the fields of stately Milkweed plants.  Our persistence had paid off! Read more

A Young Porcupine Near Dwight, Ontario

A Young Porcupine Near Dwight, Ontario

porcupine in forest - dwight - ontario 9

Bob and I had put in a very full day in Algonquin Provincial Park on the last day of our visit to that wilderness area so were heading home to Toronto late in the afternoon.  We had no reason to stop again until we got home…that is until we spotted a young Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) hobbling across the pavement of the South Portage Road near Dwight,  Ontario. Read more

A Moose cow and calf in Algonquin Park

A Moose cow and calf in Algonquin Park

moose cow with her calf in algonquin park - ontario 5

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

Monarch Butterflies Mating At Lower Reesor Pond In Toronto

monarch butterflies mating at lower reesor pond - toronto 4

What a sad summer it was here in Toronto, Ontario in 2014, because Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) 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, The Weather Network, 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

Sunchokes growing wild at Lower Reesor Pond in Toronto

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sunchokes growing at lower reesor pond - toronto 3

sunchokes, lower reesor pond, rouge national urban park, toronto

How beautiful is a sprawling drift of Sunchokes fading into the distance!  That is just what we found when Bob and I visited Lower Reesor Pond in northeast Toronto.  This native species of sunflower goes by many different names including Sunchokes, Sunroot or Earth Apple. Read more

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