The World Through Our Lens
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario.
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
Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is revered as a magnificent location for bird watching. During one visit to the park, Bob and I came upon a pair of Long-tailed Ducks. Read more
For my Mother’s Day outing one spring, our family decided to go for a hike at Tommy Thompson Park here in Toronto. It is reputed as a birdwatchers’ paradise, and I would have to agree with whomever made that proclamation. One of the most thrilling sightings we made that day was a nesting colony of Black-crowned Night Herons. We saw at least 12 pairs of these magnificent birds, some on their nests, others perched in the trees. Read more
On a walkabout in Milliken Park, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Bob and I were surprised to see, hopping about the lawns and gardens, an unusual looking rabbit. Unlike our common Cottontail Rabbit, this rabbit was white with a smokey grey snout and a grey wash on its hind quarters. Could it be that someone’s pet escaped and is now making the park its home? Or is it possible that someone released their pet for no longer wanting to care for it? Read more
For a Mother’s Day outing one spring, my family suggested a visit to Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto. Well known for fabulous birdwatching opportunities, it sounded like the perfect place to go for my special day. Little did I know just how much success we would have at spotting birds. A large number of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) caught our eye in a bay on the west side of the Leslie Street Spit. Read more
There are many things one can see while walking on the streets of Toronto, in Ontario, but in this guest post, Michelle and Arthur share their pictures and their story about a Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) that they recently sighted sitting on a city lamp post while holding a rat in its claws. Read more
On a visit to the Claireville Conservation Area in west-end Toronto, in Ontario, before we had barely set off from the parking lot, fellow visitors walking their dogs drew our attention to this wild coyote emerging from the edge of the bush. Read more
As another winter storm hit Toronto, many of us were, without a doubt, contemplating how we would weather the onslaught of another heavy snow. Well, this poor unfortunate Sharp-shinned hawk was not faring very well in my backyard as it looked for some unsuspecting prey. Birds seem to know when nasty weather is brewing, and this bird has been visiting my property frequently, likely hoping for an easy catch to sustain him while the blizzard unfolded. Read more
Late one fall, Bob and I hiked a new trail at Rouge National Urban Park, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We were amazed at how remote it felt on the edge of a big city, and the Bufflehead ducks that are from the Arctic seemed right at home. Read more
