The World Through Our Lens
A sudden change in plans had Bob and me with a free day in which to go birdwatching, an opportunity not to be missed. Recent reports had us setting our sights on an area just west of Toronto, an area to which we had never gone birdwatching before. It promised to be a fruitful day, and sure enough, amongst other species observed, we did sight one Sandhill Crane at Grass Lake near Cambridge, Ontario. Read more
On our second day of X-country skiing at Banff National Park , Bob and I had decided on the Pipestone Trail system and were planning on tackling a trail of moderate difficulty for our second ski of the season. The extreme conditions forced us to opt for one of the easy trails instead. Read more
One afternoon during our stay in Banff National Park, Alberta, Bob and I decided to take a drive from Lake Louise along the Bow Valley Parkway, a quieter highway than the Trans Canada, only two-lane versus four. We were in hopes of spotting some wildlife and were on the lookout for elk in particular. Seeing another vehicle pulled to the side of the road, we slowed to have a look. At first, we didn’t notice the Elk laying in the snow but rather thought the tourists were admiring yet another beautiful mountain peak. Read more
On a lark, Bob and I thought we would revisit Thickson’s Woods in Whitby, Ontario, to see if we could find the Great Horned Owls that inhabit that forest. It had been about a year since we earnestly looked for the Owls, and sure enough, one of the beautiful birds was found perched in the top of a tall pine tree. Read more
One of our objectives when visiting Ward’s Island was to go ice skating on Lake Ontario! We had heard from a friend, a long-time resident on the Toronto Islands, that, over the years, rare opportunities had arisen when people could actually skate around sections of Toronto Harbour and perhaps, more dependably, on the ice of the frozen lagoons. Those occasions have been few and far between. Read more
One winter, Bob and I decided to make a trip to Ward’s Island aboard a Toronto Island Ferry in Toronto Harbour. It is one of 13 in the chain of islands that gives protection to Toronto’s Inner Harbour. With the winter of 2014 being the longest and coldest in recent memory, the bay separating the mainland from the islands had become totally frozen over. We thought it would be a neat experience on board the ferry as it negotiated the icy waters on its way to Ward’s Island. Read more
During our stay at Banff National Park, not a day passed without a dump of fresh snow. Either we awoke in the morning to an additional 6 inches weighing down the trees, or snow fell so thickly when skiing that we could barely see which way to go. One afternoon, owing to the lack of freshly trackset cross-country ski trails, Bob and I opted to go snowshoeing up into the mountains following the Lake Agnes Trail from Lake Louise. Read more
After spending a few days on Vancouver Island, Bob and I returned to the mainland for a trip to the interior. During a brief stay in Kamloops, we were lucky enough to see a number of Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia) congregated outside of our hotel. Read more
Finally getting a break in the frigid winter weather, Bob and I seized the opportunity for a walk in the brilliant March sunshine at Milliken Park, in Toronto, Ontario. It seems we were not the only ones taking advantage of the warmer temperatures. An Opossum was out strolling atop the deep snow, on the search for something to eat. Read more