Northern Pintail Ducks At Reifel Bird Sanctuary in British Columbia

Northern pintail duck at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC, Canada.

Even before Bob and I pulled into the parking lot at George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, there was no doubt that we were in for some fantastic birdwatching.  On the approach, paralleling the road, was a channel where Great Blue Herons and Common Mergansers were leisurely passing the afternoon.  Our walkabout began along East Dyke, but we soon branched off onto a trail that meandered alongside a series of very large ponds.  That is where we became enthralled with a flock of Northern Pintail Ducks. Read more

Trumpeter Swans During Winter At La Salle Park

trumpeter swans prepare to land on ice - burlington bay - ontario

Trumpeter swans landing in the winter on ice at La Salle Park, Burlington, Ontario

When Bob and I visited La Salle Park in Burlington last winter, we had quite a significantly different experience from the last time we found ourselves there in April 2013.  A good number of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) were present just offshore from the snow-covered beach, but rather than dallying in the warm waters of Hamilton Harbour, they were trying to keep warm on the icy surface of the frozen bay. Read more

Juvenile Bald Eagle At Boundary Bay in British Columbia

Immature Bald Eagle - Boundary Bay - BC - 1

As Bob and I completed the trail that leads to Centennial Beach Cafe, we heard a raucous in a treetop right above our heads.  A sole juvenile Bald Eagle sat perched there at rest, whereas only one week earlier, according to regular visitors, about 200 Bald Eagles were seen in Boundary Bay Regional Park and environs. Read more

Ring-necked Ducks at Boundary Bay, BC

ring-necked duck at boundary bay - BC - 3

On a trip to British Columbia, Bob and I scheduled a hike at Boundary Bay Regional Park in the Delta and Tsawwassen regions south of Vancouver.  Due to the effects of time change, on the first morning of the trip, Bob and I found ourselves awake bright and early, so hit the trails at the north end of the conservation area by 8 a.m.  We were pleased to spot, right off, a bevy of Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) tucked into a sheltered cove on the west side of Boundary Bay. Read more

Opossums Foraging In Our Toronto Backyard

opossum toronto 1

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

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird in our Toronto garden

ruby-throated hummingbird feeds on nectar, toronto, ontario

Every spring and again in late summer, Bob and I are graced with the attentions of hummingbirds in our flower garden, and this past year was no different.  This Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) was seen visiting our Butterfly Bush repeatedly over the course of several days. Read more

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly At Lynde Shores Conservation Area

clouded sulpher butterfly, sits on flower and collects nectar, Lynde Shores Conservation Area, whitby, ontario

It was rather late in the fall when Bob and I went for a walk at  Lynde Shores Conservation Area  in Whitby, but glorious sunshine made for an unseasonably warm day.  It was no surprise, then, to find numerous butterflies visiting the remaining wildflowers in the meadows within sight of Lake Ontario, butterflies such as this Clouded Sulphur. Read more

Solitary Sandpiper At Fernwood Farms In Stayner

Solitary Sandpiper on edge of pond - Fernwood Farms - stayner - ontario

Bob and I enjoy making annual trips to Fernwood Farms in Stayner, Ontario, for that is where we pick the biggest, juiciest blueberries that one can imagine.  There had been a deluge of rain the day before we visited the farm, and a Solitary Sandpiper was making use of an impromptu pond that had formed at the edge of the cornfield. Read more

Black-and-White Warbler Visits Our Backyard

Black-and-white Warbler, toronto, ontario

My husband, Bob, while in the process of putting bird food into the feeders,  happened to notice a new visitor to our backyard…a Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia), a type of Wood Warbler. Read more

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