Canada Archives

A Flutter of Monarch Butterflies At Toronto Shoreline

One fall, Bob and I ended up spending most of the day at Colonel Samuel Smith Park at the edge of Lake Ontario in Toronto. Our mission to locate a flutter of Monarch Butterflies started early in the morning, but it was not until late in the afternoon that we finally knew success. There was no mistaking the chosen tree for its branches hung with hundreds and hundreds of these beautiful butterflies, come together to rest for the night. Read more

Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis At Tommy Thompson Park

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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

Gray Treefrogs At Lower Reesor Pond

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After a stretch of very rainy weather, Bob and I were desperate to get out in the field, and nothing pleases us more than to explore a new trail or go birdwatching in a habitat never before visited by ourselves. Such was the case when we targeted Lower Reesor Pond, a wetland in northeast Toronto, in Ontario, in Rouge National Urban Park. Our outing, as usual, was prolonged but immensely rewarding. Amongst other birds and animals seen that day were several Eastern Gray Treefrogs. Read more

Scarlet Tanagers at Ashbridge’s Bay Park In Toronto

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After hearing about the scores of different bird species being seen at Ashbridge’s Bay Park in Toronto, Ontario one spring, Bob and I made it our mission to be up and out early one Sunday in mid-May in order to check out the lakeside park where hundreds of birds rest after crossing Lake Ontario. It was not until lunchtime, however, that we unexpectedly came upon two Scarlet Tanagers adjacent to the park’s restaurant parking lot. Read more

Cow Moose And Calf In Algonquin Provincial Park

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photograph of moose drinking in a swamp in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario.

On a drive into Algonquin Provincial Park, a few kilometres just inside the West Gate, Bob picked out a cow and calf in the ditch where they were nibbling on tender shoots and having a drink of water. Read more

A House Wren Builds A Nest In My Toronto Backyard

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To our knowledge, Bob and I have never had a House Wren visit our backyard before, but this past spring, many new species stopped in at our small suburban property for a rest en route to their breeding grounds. Among them was this House Wren. We were delighted that it decided to stay put and build a nest in one of our birdhouses. Read more

Rose-breasted Female Grosbeak In Our Backyard

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In years past, on a couple of rare occasions, we have had a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak drop by our backyard during spring migration. This past spring, a pair of males spent several days around our property enjoying the bird food and water fountain before moving on. Bob and I were pleasantly surprised late one afternoon to see that a female Rose- breasted Grosbeak had come to join in the free-for-all. Read more

Raccoon Mother With Cubs Nesting In A Toronto Tree

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Raccoon Mother With Cubs Nesting In A Toronto Tree

Bob and I had taken a drive down to Queen Street East here in Toronto to check out the Cliff Swallows nesting at the Harris Water Treatment Plant. On the way home, we decided to make a quick stop at a shoreline City Park where we caught up with some Baltimore Orioles and a number of Bank Swallows, but not much else was happening there that afternoon. Then, another birdwatcher took us “under her wing” and escorted us to a tree where a family of Raccoons (Procyon lotor) was known to be nesting. Read more

Eastern Bluebirds Near Cambridge In Ontario

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photograph of a male and female Eastern Bluebird along the Brant Waterloo Road near Cambridge, Ontario.

Bob and I took a drive down towards Cambridge to see if we could locate any of the Sandhill Cranes reported to be nesting in the area of Grass Lake. Our first observation over the marshy lake revealed nothing to us of the Cranes’ whereabouts, but a fellow birdwatcher pointed us a little further down the dirt road where Eastern Bluebirds were preparing to nest. They were going to have to stand in for the Cranes until a little while later. Read more

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Raccoon Mother With Cubs Nesting In A Toronto Tree

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