The World Through Our Lens
For my Mother’s Day outing one spring, our family decided to go for a hike at Tommy Thompson Park here in Toronto. It is reputed as a birdwatchers’ paradise, and I would have to agree with whomever made that proclamation. One of the most thrilling sightings we made that day was a nesting colony of Black-crowned Night Herons. We saw at least 12 pairs of these magnificent birds, some on their nests, others perched in the trees. Read more
On a walkabout in Milliken Park, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Bob and I were surprised to see, hopping about the lawns and gardens, an unusual looking rabbit. Unlike our common Cottontail Rabbit, this rabbit was white with a smokey grey snout and a grey wash on its hind quarters. Could it be that someone’s pet escaped and is now making the park its home? Or is it possible that someone released their pet for no longer wanting to care for it? Read more
For a Mother’s Day outing one spring, my family suggested a visit to Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto. Well known for fabulous birdwatching opportunities, it sounded like the perfect place to go for my special day. Little did I know just how much success we would have at spotting birds. A large number of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) caught our eye in a bay on the west side of the Leslie Street Spit. Read more
Bob and I were on one of our regular visits to Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve, in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, to check out the development of the Great Horned Owl babies. As we turned to leave, we noticed some northern flickers near the top of a snag. Read more
Bob and I had wanted to visit Ireland and visit the Valley of the two lakes at Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland, for many a long year. So finally, we booked a flight and made for Dublin, and Glendalough. We were excited about exploring the land of Bob’s ancestors. The Emerald Isle, as Ireland is fondly called, had me envisioning rolling hills burgeoning with lush green vegetation, and sprawling masses of shamrocks in shady glens. Read more
After leaving Powerscourt House, our drive became very interesting because Bob and I avoided using the main thoroughfares. Instead, we took to driving the back roads in County Wicklow in the Shadow of Sugar Loaf Mountain. We were on a search for adventure. Bob and I loved the canopy of trees that spanned the carriageway from one side of the road to the other, creating a living, green tunnel. It was reminiscent of our drives on the country roads in England. Read more
On a warm sunny spring day, Bob and I visited Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve in Whitby, Ontario. We most often explore the trails of the forest, hoping to find some migrating birds, but on this visit, we opted for a walkabout the meadow adjacent to the woodlot. What a perfect habitat for the many species of songbirds that we saw that day, amongst them a beautiful Baltimore Oriole. Read more
It had been almost three weeks since Bob and I visited Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve one spring in Whitby, Ontario. We were long overdue for monitoring the baby owls’ next stage of development. When last at the forest, the Great Horned Owl babies had remained safe in the nest, but on this visit, the nest sat empty. It took some serious searching in the canopy of pine trees before Bob’s keen eye detected 3 owls perched near the top of one of them…one adult and the two owlets. Read more
One spring, in the meadow that is part of Thickson’s Woods Land Trust in Whitby, Ontario, many species of birds were making their homes. The proliferation of long grass, low shrubs, dense thickets, evergreen trees and the remains of an old orchard made it the perfect habitat for many different songbirds. On our visit, Bob and I saw numerous Tree Swallows. Read more
On a visit to the unique woodlot known as Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve in Whitby, Ontario, we changed things up a bit, and crossed over the adjacent walkway to the protected habitat of the meadow that borders the forest. With its abundance of long grasses, bushes, shrubs, evergreens, and the remains of an old orchard, it was teeming with birds of all species. One type of bird that caught my eye were a group of Brown-headed Cowbirds, at rest on a branch right beside the path. Read more
