A Very Lucky Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

image of an eastern or canadian tiger swallowtail larva, in ontario, canada

How do you like my new little buddy? It is the cutest little caterpillar, an Eastern or a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail larva likely in its third or 4th instar, soon to cocoon and morph into a beautiful butterfly.
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Glossy Ibis We Sighted In Whitby, Ontario

Glossy Ibis fishing in a wetlands in Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Imagine Bob’s and my surprise when we got wind of a Glossy Ibis hanging around in Whitby, Ontario, one spring.  The bird’s presence here in Canada is very unusual, and it had birders’ tongues flapping.  Word spread quickly as to its location, and people flocked to see the Ibis, in some cases driving long distances for a look at this beautiful wading bird. 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

Brown Thrasher At Lynde Shores Conservation Area



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Brown Thrasher At Lynde Shores Conservation Area

brown thrasher, lynde shores conservation area, whitby, ontario

An early spring rendezvous in Whitby allowed Bob and me to fit in a stop at Lynde Shores Conservation Area while in the area.  The Cranberry West Tract turned up no birds of note, but we did spy a family of deer, a young buck, doe and two fawns, that kept their distance in the thick brush.  We then popped over to Lynde Shores for a quick tour around the bird feeding trail.  Near one of the feeders, a beautiful Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) was tucked low in the crown of a fallen tree. Read more

Double crested Cormorant at Lynde Shores Conservation Area

double-crested cormorant swims towards swamp

double-crested cormorant, profile of head

Bob and I have seen many Double crested Cormorants in the Georgian Bay area when canoeing the Beaver River and in the Minesing Swamp, not to mention right in the town of Thornbury, but we had never come across a member of the species at Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby until on a recent visit there. Read more

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly At Lynde Shores Conservation Area

clouded sulpher butterfly, sits on flower and collects nectar, Lynde Shores Conservation Area, whitby, ontario

It was rather late in the fall when Bob and I went for a walk at  Lynde Shores Conservation Area  in Whitby, but glorious sunshine made for an unseasonably warm day.  It was no surprise, then, to find numerous butterflies visiting the remaining wildflowers in the meadows within sight of Lake Ontario, butterflies such as this Clouded Sulphur. Read more

Northern Flickers in Whitby’s Thickson’s Woods

Northern Flicker on a tree in Thicksons Woods in Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Bob and I were on one of our regular visits to Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve, in Whitby, Ontario, to check out the development of the Great Horned Owl babies.  As we turned to leave, Bob noticed a large woodpecker zipping through the tree tops.  A Northern Flicker landed near the top of a snag. Read more

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