Tag: Whitby

Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Ajax on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region.

A Baltimore Oriole Enjoys Spring In Whitby’s Thickson’s Woods

A Baltimore Oriole Enjoys Spring In Whitby’s Thickson’s Woods

baltimore oriole looks ahead - thicksons woods - whitby - ontario

On a warm sunny spring day, Bob and I visited Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve in Whitby, Ontario.  We most often explore the trails of the forest, hoping to find some migrating birds, but on this visit, we opted for a walkabout the meadow adjacent to the woodlot.  What a perfect habitat for the many species of songbirds that we saw that day, amongst them a beautiful Baltimore Oriole. Read more

Great Horned Owl Babies Out Of Their Thickson’s Woods Nest

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Great Horned Owl, baby 1, Thicksons Woods, Whitby, Ontario

It had been almost three weeks since Bob and I visited Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve one spring in Whitby, Ontario.  We were long overdue for monitoring the baby  owls’ next stage of development.  When last at the forest, the Great Horned Owl babies had remained safe in the nest, but on this visit, the nest sat empty.  It took some serious searching in the canopy of pine trees before Bob’s keen eye detected 3 owls perched near the top of one of them…one adult and the two owlets. Read more

Tree swallows at Thickson’s Woods in Whitby

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Tree swallows at Thickson’s Woods in Whitby

tree swallow - - - thicksons woods meadow - whitby - ontario

One spring, in the meadow that is part of Thickson’s Woods Land Trust in Whitby, Ontario, many species of birds were making their homes.  The proliferation of long grass, low shrubs, dense thickets, evergreen trees and the remains of an old orchard made it the perfect habitat for many different songbirds.  On our visit, Bob and I saw numerous Tree Swallows. Read more

Brown-headed Cowbirds In Thickson’s Woods

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brown headed cow bird -gives me a look - thicksons woods meadow - whitby - ontario

On a visit to the unique woodlot known as Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve in Whitby, Ontario, we changed things up a bit, and crossed over the adjacent walkway to the protected habitat of the meadow that borders the forest.  With its abundance of long grasses, bushes, shrubs, evergreens, and the remains of an old orchard, it was teeming with birds of all species.  One type of bird that caught my eye were a group of Brown-headed Cowbirds, at rest on a branch right beside the path. Read more

Great Horned Owlets in Whitby, Ontario

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Great Horned Owl mom with two chicks - Thicksons Woods - Whitby - Ontario

Only a week after first photographing the Great Horned owlets in Whitby, Ontario, Bob and I returned to catch up on their progress and development.  When we first spotted the mother Owl, she was taking a break from her nesting responsibilities perched at the end of the same branch as that holding the nest. Read more

Eastern Garter Snakes in Whitby’s Thickson’s Woods

garter snake sits among pine needles and studies me - thicksons woods - whitby

Bob and I went to Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve, in Whitby, Ontario, one spring, to check on the growth of the Great Horned Owl chicks, but we were treated to wildlife observations of quite a different kind.  As Ontario’s spring weather finally started to include warmer days, it was no surprise to discover a number of Eastern Garter Snakes taking advantage of the warmth where direct sunlight penetrated to the forest floor. Read more

Black-Capped Chickadees Excavate A Nest In Thickson’s Woods

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Black-capped chickadee with full peak of woodchips - thicksons woods

Black-capped chickadee on tree beside nest holes - thicksons woods

You know that spring has sprung when you see birds building their nests.  One spring, at Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve in Whitby, Ontario, a pair of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapilla) worked industriously to hollow out a cavity in a dead tree trunk, preparing to lay their eggs. Read more

Great Horned Owlets In Their Nest In Thickson’s Woods

Great Horned Owlets In Their Nest In Thickson’s Woods

great horned owl chicks and mother in nest -- - thicksons woods - whitby - ontario

Bob and I had not gone out to Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve, in Whitby, Ontario, for about 5 weeks in the spring of 2013.  Nor had we heard if the babies had hatched, so a visit was in order to check on the status of things.  What a thrill when we sighted two Great Horned Owlets in their nest. Read more

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