The World Through Our Lens
When staying at Hotel Garza Canela, a great birding base in San Blas, Mexico, we found the hotel staff and other birders quite willing to give helpful tips on where to go looking for birds. One recommended area was Cerro de San Juan Ecological Reserve near Tepic. A trip to this area required a 1 1/2 hour drive to get there. Read more
On what seemed a very ordinary winter day, Bob and I took a leisurely walk over to one of our local parks to escape the routine of familiar household chores. Milliken Park in Toronto, Ontario, was almost deserted. Though we scanned bushes and trees, not a single bird was seen until I noticed a solitary Cooper’s Hawk perched on a sunlit branch. Seconds later, the hawk launched into the air and nabbed a Big Brown Bat that was flying by. Read more
On a bright, sunny Saturday in mid-October, Bob and I decided to make a trip to the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, Canada. A fellow birder had reported groups of Sandhill Cranes in that vicinity where corn fields had recently been harvested. At first, we were afraid the drive would be all for naught, but in the end, we located close to 200 of these elegant birds. Read more
On our first full day in New Zealand, Bob and I headed north from Karekare to the well known Gannet colony at Muriwai. We were very pleased to find a significant colony of White-fronted Terns also sharing the headland at Otakamiro Point. Read more
The morning following our arrival in Tuscany at first looked like it would be dreary and wet. A light sprinkle of rain dampened the patio stones as we ate breakfast, but by the time we finished our fruit and cereal, warm September sunshine cast shadows of the tall trees surrounding our farmhouse, so we set off to explore the vineyard. Butterflies and moths were everywhere in our dooryard, on the wildflowers and clinging to bushes and vines. Read more
On a cold winter’s day that included passing snow squalls, Bob and I ventured into Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, in hopes of seeing a Spruce Grouse. Instead, we found ourselves in the company of a Red Fox. Looking picture perfect, this Red Fox almost seemed to pose for our cameras while fine snowflakes settled on its fur. Read more
What a delight to have winter arrive on time! Cold temperatures and lots of snow meant that our bird feeders were busy from morning until night in Ontario, Canada. And then one morning, we noticed that all was quiet in our suburban backyard. A Sharp-shinned hawk had landed. Read more
While in New Zealand, we had a real mixed bag of weather conditions. Our time spent in Mt. Tongariro National Park was under grey skies for the most part with driving rain, snow, sleet or hail. Our hopes of hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing were dashed owing to strong winds, so we made the best of things and opted for some other scenic hikes, one of which was the Tawhai Falls Walk. Read more
It is safe to say that we saw many species of birds when we visited San Blas, in Mexico. Among them is this beautiful Tri-coloured Heron. Read more
Bob and I had a long list of sights to see in New Zealand and first up was the gannet colony at Muriwai Regional Park just outside of Auckland. About an hour’s drive north of where we were staying on the North Island, it made for the perfect day trip. Over 2,000 Australasian Gannets make up the colony at Muriwai, which is one of only three mainland gannet colonies in New Zealand. Read more
