Redhead Ducks In Toronto Harbour

redhead duck, toronto harbour, ontario

One of the highlights of our winter day trip aboard a Toronto Island Ferry to Ward’s Island, one of 13 islands in Toronto Harbour, was seeing a real proliferation of ducks, some of which were wintering in Southern Ontario from the Arctic.  One such species was the striking Redhead Duck (Aythya americana). Read more

White-tailed Deer In The Wild At Lynde Shores



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White-tailed Deer In The Wild At Lynde Shores

two deer along pathway at lynde shores - whitby

In mid-March of 2014, Bob and I took a drive out to Thickson’s Woods in Oshawa to look for the Great Horned Owls reported to have been seen in the tall pines there.  On our way home, we took a slow drive along Hall’s Road South, which borders the Cranberry West Tract of Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby.  There, we espied a small herd of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) lingering in the warm sunshine. Read more

Great Horned Owl Sitting In Thickson’s Woods

great horned owl in thicksons woods - whitby 6

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

Magical Ice Skating On Ward’s Island Lagoon in Toronto

Magical Ice Skating On Ward’s Island Lagoon in Toronto

putting on skates at lagoon skating rink - ward's island - toronto

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

Snowy Owl With Kill On The Ice At Frenchman’s Bay

photograph of a Snowy Owl on the ice at Frenchmans Bay in Pickering, Ontario.

Snowy owl on the ice with kill at Frenchmans Bay in Pickering, Ontario, Canada

The winter of 2014 went down as the year of the Snowy Owl judging by the number of sightings here in Southern and Central Ontario, in Canada.  It seems that every Tom, Dick and Mary has spotted one be it on a fence post, a light standard, the roof of a building, along a hedgerow, in a treetop and even lots of them in flight.  Bob and I caught sight of this Snowy Owl out on the ice at Frenchman’s Bay, on edge of Lake Ontario. Read more

Playing The Street Piano On Ward’s Island

Jean plays the street piano at Ward's Island Ferry Terminal in Toronto, Ontario

Before winter draws to a close, Bob and I wanted to make a visit to Ward’s Island in Toronto Harbour.  With the coldest winter in years still embracing Ontario, we set off on the ferry at the bottom of Bay Street for the 10-minute ride across the frozen harbour.  I think it took a bit longer since the vessel had to cut through a thick veneer of ice.  Once on the island, and near the pier, I found a Street Piano. Read more

Crushing through ice aboard a Toronto Island Ferry

toronto harbour in the winter

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

An Opossum visits my Toronto backyard

opossum heads towards garden - toronto 1

opossum in toronto backyard - 6

On one of the first really warm March days of the season, Bob and I enjoyed a walk to our local park.  We were thrilled to see an Opossum scouting around for some food there amid the snowdrifts, and it reminded us of the three that had visited our own backyard in late December.  We had seen no sign of them since then.  We were no sooner home from the park when a little visitor came calling…a very large Opossum (Didelphimorphia). Read more

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