Tag: Nature

In the Midst of Monarch Butterflies at Sierra Chincua Sanctuary

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Monarch butterflies on a fir bough at Sierra Chincua Butterfly Sanctuary near Angangueo, Mexico

There are eight butterfly colonies that exist in protected areas of Mexico, five of which are located in the state of Michoacan, but only two of these are open to the public.  We wanted to check out both for the different experiences that they provide.  On Day 4 of our trip, we retraced the route towards Angangueo and then branched off towards the Sierra Chincua Butterfly Reserve.  Although smaller in scope, with fewer butterflies overall, we were actually able to get closer to those resting in the trees. Read more

Gray Jays Wintering In Algonquin Provincial Park

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gray jay in algonquin provincial park - ontario - pic 4

Who can resist the endearing face of a chubby Canada Jay or Gray Jay as they are more familiarly known?  In certain areas of Algonquin Provincial Park, one is almost guaranteed to sight these friendly birds that are always quick to come close as if in welcome to their territory, the boreal forest. Read more

Among the Winged Magic at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Mexico

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Monarch butterflies on the ground at El Rosario Biosphere Reserve, in Mexico

For a number of years now, Bob and I have intended to go to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico to witness the spectacle of the Monarch Butterflies that winter there.  We realized our dream when we flew into Mexico City, and two days later found ourselves at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in the State of Michoacán.  The sight literally brought me to tears. Read more

Juvenile Coopers Hawk stakes out my Toronto backyard

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juvenile coopers hawk on arbour - toronto - ontario

Bob and I enjoy birdwatching through our patio door as we take our meals every day, but near the beginning of this past December, as we finished up our lunch, all the songbirds took flight in a rushed panic.  Next thing we knew, this Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk assumed a stakeout from on top of my garden arbour. Read more

Red Foxes Wintering In Snowy Algonquin Provincial Park

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red fox in algonquin park - november 2014 pic 6

Late in the fall one year, Bob and I visited Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada, and with the early snowfall received in the area, the Park was totally transformed from even a couple of weeks before.  As we made our way around the Park in search of wildlife, we could not resist the temptation to revisit the home range of a couple of Red Foxes known to many people.  The resident Foxes were out and about and seemed all that much more beautiful given the white canvas that accentuated their rich red coat of winter fur. Read more

An Eastern Coyote hunting prey in a farm field in Ontario

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eastern coyote near saintfield, ontario pic 2

On a drive north of Whitby, Ontario, Bob happened to glance into a farm field adjacent to the highway where he spotted a Coyote (Canis latrans) sauntering along.  It is quite common to see Coyotes in and around rural farm properties in Ontario, as well as right in the heart of cities like Toronto, where they share our green spaces and waterways. Read more

Great Black Digger Wasp At McKenzie Marsh In Aurora

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great black digger wasp - atkinson park wetland, aurora - pic 1

When Bob and I set off to explore the McKenzie Marsh in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, we expected to find ducks and herons, frogs and toads, but had not anticipated or planned on focusing on a number of interesting insects.  As I studied the frogs in the pond, Bob was absorbed in observing a curious black bug that turned out to be a Great Black Digger Wasp. Read more

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron At Colonel Samuel Smith Park

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yellow crowned night heron - juvenile - col sam smith park - etobicoke pic 7

For weeks, Bob and I had been hearing about a Yellow-crowned Night Heron  making a stay at Colonel Samuel Smith Park on Toronto’s lakeshore.  When finally we had a chance to pop down there for a look, it was quite late in the afternoon so we did not hold out much hope of seeing it since other people had been numerous times without success.  Lo and behold, after we circled the main pond on an obscure trail through the woodlot, we came out to a clearing and found the Night Heron perched nonchalantly on a rock. Read more

Lance-tipped Darner Dragonfly Along Algonquin Park’s Mizzy Lake Trail

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lance-tipped darner dragonfly along mizzy lake trail - algonquin park - ontario pic 4

When hiking the Mizzy Lake Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park, we took a lunch break near the top of the loop a short distance beyond Wolf Howl Pond.  Two small ponds made an inviting place to have our picnic lunch, and there was so much activity around the water that we were fully entertained while we ate.  One Lance-tipped Darner Dragonfly  repeatedly landed on a submerged log directly in front of our picnic spot. Read more

Trumpeter Swan Happenings At Scarborough’s Milliken Park

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trumpeter swans at milliken park - toronto 3

Earlier this past fall, visitors to Milliken Park in northeast Scarborough would have noticed that only two Trumpeter Swans were inhabiting the main pond where previously there had been a family of four.  Tango, the female or pen, was diligently caring for her one remaining cygnet after the untimely death of her other baby in mid-September. Read more