The World Through Our Lens
On a birdwatching outing to Second Marsh Wildlife Area in Oshawa, Ontario, Bob and I couldn’t have been more pleased at our sightings of the day. Amongst the numerous birds that we saw was this Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus). Read more
During the third week of May one spring, Bob and I found ourselves in the community of Oxtongue Lake, in Ontario, Canada. One of our objectives was to visit the Rookery where Great Blue Herons have nested in past years. When we first broke through the forest that surrounds the beaver pond, we saw only vacant nests. It wasn’t long before one of the majestic herons flew in and landed on its nest. Read more
Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park is revered as a magnificent location for birdwatching. On one visit, Bob and I saw many species of birds, among them a pair of Long-tailed Ducks. Read more
Bob and I visited the community of Oxtongue Lake, in Ontario one spring to help celebrate my dad’s 90th birthday. Being early in May, there was lots of activity in the trees with migrating birds returning to their nesting grounds. Along Oxtongue Lake Road, we were lucky to see a Yellow-rumped Warbler singing merrily from the branch of a tree at roadside. Read more
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
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, to check out the development of the Great Horned Owl babies. As we turned to leave, Bob noticed a large woodpecker zipping through the tree tops. A Northern Flicker landed near the top of a snag. 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