Black-Crowned Night Herons At Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park

black crowned night heron - closeup two in nest - toronto - ontario - may 2013

Black-crowned Night Heron in its nest at Tommy Thompson Park, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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

A White and Grey Rabbit in Toronto’s Milliken Park

A White and Grey Rabbit in Toronto’s Milliken Park

White and grey rabbit - looks at me - Milliken Park - Toronto - Ontario

On a recent walkabout in Milliken Park, in Toronto,  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

Common Terns At Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park

Common Terns At Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park

Common Tern, tommy thompson park, toronto

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

A Red-tailed Hawk holding a rat in Toronto

A Red-tailed Hawk holding a rat in Toronto

Red Tailed Hawk holding a rat in its yellow claws, sits on a light post in Toronto, Ontario

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

Sharp-shinned Hawk Suffers Through Toronto Snowstorm

Sharp-shinned Hawk Suffers Through Toronto Snowstorm

Sharp-shinned Hawk takes a break in snowstorm -Toronto - Canada

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 ( Accipiter striatus) 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

1 9 10 11 12