The World Through Our Lens
It was very late in the afternoon when Bob and I landed at Cape Royal, one of the lookout points on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Despite our rush to see the spectacular views before sunset, we took time to observe this little Northern Sagebrush Lizard seen scampering amongst the rocks right at the lip of the Canyon. Read more
When Bob and I decided to hike Bright Angel Trail, we knew it would be a demanding challenge, and one that would take many hours. From the South Rim, Plateau Point was a speck at the edge of the Tonto Platform; from midway down the fault line, the narrow meandering trail that leads from Indian Garden to Plateau Point was more discernible but no less intimidating. Read more
As Bob and I neared Indian Garden along Bright Angel Trail at Grand Canyon National Park, we kept a keen eye for birds and animals along the way. I was conscientiously watching for snakes and so tended to scrutinize the trail in front of me to avoid stepping on one, in particular any Grand Canyon Rattlesnakes that might be sunning themselves. It was Bob who spied this Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard where it originally sat hunched on the small branch of a Catclaw Acacia. Read more
Bob and I always keep a keen eye on the goings and comings in our backyard. There is constant activity centered around the bird feeders. If it isn’t squirrels that have outsmarted our most recent positioning of the feeding stations, it is the delightful array of birds sparring for feeding rights that entertain us. What a shock when one day Bob was walking to the garden house and spotted a new little critter under the arbour seat. A Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) sat huddled in the shadows hoping to avoid detection. Read more
When Bob and I first arrived at Grand Canyon National Park, it was getting late in the day, dusk in fact, so we were eager to find our accommodations in the Grand Canyon Village. As we drove down one stretch of the pavement, adjacent to the railway track, Bob caught sight of a number of Elk making their way from one side of the roadway to the other. Read more
As Bob and I were about to leave Montreal’s Botanical Gardens, after a day-long tour of the wonderful Mosaicultures garden exhibit, we came upon a Red Fox sniffing around the various plants in one specialized garden. What a surprise to find this wild creature quite at home in urban Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Read more
Recently, Bob and I took the opportunity of a break in the rain for a hike along the Seaton Hiking Trail, near Whitevale, Ontario. How apt that we spotted a Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) resting at the side of the swiftly moving water on a damp rock. Now, you are probably thinking, “aren’t all frogs green?”, but the Green Frog is one of Ontario’s 13 recognized frog species. Read more
On a visit to the West Cranberry Tract at Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, we were lucky enough to see some muskrats at the edge of the marsh foraging for food. Read more
Bob and I spent one afternoon exploring a marsh near Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. We barely had gotten underway when we spotted a member of the Weasel Family, a Mink, coming towards us, totally unconcerned about our presence in its habitat. Read more
Another cold wet morning greeted me on Kekerten Island as we prepared for what we hoped would be a day of filming and tracking bowhead whales off Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. Read more
