The World Through Our Lens
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
Bob and I drove out to Hamilton, Ontario, on a recent spring day, and opted to hike a trail system near the Royal Botanical Gardens rather than revisit Cootes Paradise, one of our favorite places to go birdwatching. The Hendrie Valley Sanctuary encompasses a variety of habitats including marshlands, forested slopes, floodplain wetlands and four creeks. It was there, as we walked along a section of Grindstone Creek, that we came upon this Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) paddling its way upstream. Read more
What a delight when a new species of bird decides to visit our backyard oasis. This spring, we have had several different warblers stop to enjoy the water fountain and feeding stations, among them a Cape May Warbler. For some reason, looking south at my Highbush Cranberry where it stands guard over the corner of the garage, is where I seem to discover many of the birds opting to perch before they remove themselves to the privacy of our back garden. Read more
How exciting it was to see so many new bird visitors to our backyard. With bird migration in full swing, Bob and I kept a keen eye out our windows hoping to glimpse new species that happened to drop by. First thing, one morning, as I sat at my computer desk looking out on the streetscape, I saw a flash of orange land in my Highbush Cranberry. That bird turned out to be a Blackburnian Warbler. Read more
The grandeur of Kylemore Abbey extends well beyond the opulence of the original Castle to the expansive Victorian Walled Garden that rises from the heretofore boggy moorland in County Galway, Ireland. It is a magnificent example of what can be achieved when creative engineering is combined with tenacity and inspiration. Read more
It is so much fun to go hiking and birdwatching in the springtime. With all the migrating birds arriving daily in Ontario, we never know what surprises are in store for us at places like Dickson Wilderness Area, near Cambridge, Ontario. The same can be said for all the tender new growth that is pushing its way up out of the cold soil. With each passing day, new treasures are to be found amidst the bleached leaf litter on the forest floor. Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is always one of the very first plants to emerge from the frozen earth because this plant is capable of generating its own heat and can even thaw its way through a thin veneer of ice. Read more
One spring, on the only clear day in a week of rainy weather, Bob and I seized the opportunity to go birdwatching. A return trip was in order to the area of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton. Not since the previous spring had we visited the protected areas in the Gardens’ vicinity, all of which make for great hiking and birdwatching. It was in the Grindstone Marsh that Bob and I came upon two pairs of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) idling in the backwaters of one of the marshes. Read more
On a spring visit to Milliken Park in Toronto, we were shocked to come upon a number of dead turtles along the shoreline of the pond that had been killed by what is called Winter Kill. Read more
On a visit to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Bob and I were thrilled to discover a Moose (Alces alces) in a boggy area just to the side of the highway. It was a nice spring day, so the Moose was encouraged to leave the protection of the forest and soak up the warmth of the bright sunshine. Read more