The World Through Our Lens
For my mom and dad, seeing a Northern Flicker is a fairly common occurrence at Oxtongue Lake, in Ontario, Canada. The birds frequent their backyard and beach property because both locations have sandy soil with a good supply of ants. When Bob and I visited in mid-May one spring, I was lucky enough to see a female flicker industriously trying to find some grubs in an old tree stump. Read more
On an outing to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, Bob and I were winding down our day after having spent several hours on the beautiful trails there. As we strode across Kettle Trail to regain the Trans Canada Trail and then the parking lot, an unfamiliar sound met our ears. We soon spotted the source in a treetop not far away. A bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in full song was in profile against an azure sky, making for a perfect snapshot. Read more
On spring, as I went about cleaning up the dishes after breakfast, out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur fly past the patio door and make a sharp veer to the left. I was grateful that the bird hadn’t been fooled into flying into the window’s reflection. I was keen to locate it in my backyard and thrilled when the bird turned out to be a Gray-cheeked Thrush. Read more
One of my favorite backyard features is the flowering crab apple tree outside our bedroom window. It reminds me fondly of the wild cherry tree that bloomed next to my bedroom window when I was a child growing up at Oxtongue Lake. Bob and I scrutinize this apple tree for avian visitors every time we pass by the window. A pleasant surprise greeted us late one afternoon when a Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) sat nestled in amongst the pink flower buds. Read more
Towards the end of May one spring, Bob and I were visiting my parents at Oxtongue Lake, in Ontario, and, as usual, we kept a keen eye on the trees for any visiting migratory or local nesting birds. As on one other occasion earlier in the spring, mass confusion was inspired when a Merlin Falcon erupted out of the pine trees alongside my dad’s driveway and spooked a number of the songbirds. This time, we were very saddened to see that a pair of Magnolia Warblers (Setophaga magnolia) had crashed into the windows of the sunroom. Read more
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
The day following our wild ride around the countryside in and around Glendalough, Bob and I wanted to get up close and personal with nature by going for a hike in Wicklow Mountains National Park. The predawn light nudged me from my sleep around 4 a.m., and excitement snuck into my consciousness as I thought about the hike we would take in the morning. 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