The World Through Our Lens
Wildlife traditionally refers to non-domesticated animal species, but has come to include all plants, fungi and other organisms which grow or live wild in an area.
Pine Martens seem to be regular visitors to certain spots in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario at least during late winter. Whether seen frequenting the bird-feeding station along the Spruce Bog Trail or those feeders set below the deck of the Visitor Centre, these small furry mammals delight observers, young and old. Read more
Bob and I had made several attempts to photograph Wood Ducks at High Park over the past year, but it wasn’t until one sunny morning one spring that we actually succeeded in finding a pair of them in favourable light conditions that helped to show off their stunning plumage. Read more
When we drive through Algonquin Provincial Park or take the time to hike one of the many trails through the forest there, we never know what marvelous birds or animals may cross our paths. Many times, it is only the superb scenery that is to be enjoyed, and the peace and solitude of the Park’s backwoods. Other times, wildlife, such as this Cow Moose and Calf, will come right out to the highway corridor where it is far easier to browse than among the tangle of fallen trees in the dense forest. Read more
Late in the fall one year, Bob and I visited Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada, and with the early snowfall received in the area, the Park was totally transformed from even a couple of weeks before. As we made our way around the Park in search of wildlife, we could not resist the temptation to revisit the home range of a couple of Red Foxes known to many people. The resident Foxes were out and about and seemed all that much more beautiful given the white canvas that accentuated their rich red coat of winter fur. Read more
On a drive north of Whitby, Ontario, Bob happened to glance into a farm field adjacent to the highway where he spotted a Coyote (Canis latrans) sauntering along. It is quite common to see Coyotes in and around rural farm properties in Ontario, as well as right in the heart of cities like Toronto, where they share our green spaces and waterways. Read more
Early last fall, Bob and I wanted to introduce my sister and brother-in-law to a new trail system that we discovered earlier this year. It is called the Nokiidaa Trail, which in Ojibwa means “walking together”. The trail which links between the towns of Aurora, Newmarket, and East Gwillimbury is used by cyclists as well as walkers, and we were on wheels on this particular day. Well into our ride, I spotted something round and dark on the crushed rock surface of the bicycle trail, and nearly ran over what turned out to be a baby Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). In the immediate vicinity, we discovered four others lingering on the path. Read more
Earlier one fall, Bob and I set off for a three-day visit to Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. We were on a mission to find and photograph a Bull Moose. Given the time of year, the odds were pretty good that we might come across one. Instead, we were rewarded with the opportunity to observe and photograph not one, but two, Red Foxes. I was ecstatic! Read more
Along about mid-summer, Bob and I were interested in exploring some new wetlands that we had come to know about, and one of them was Atkinson Park Wetlands or McKenzie Marsh in Aurora. It is located near St. John’s Sideroad and Yonge Street. Bob and I were delighted to find a series of boardwalks that traversed a good-sized pond and wetland, and these conducted us to a paved trail adjacent to another smaller pond. It is there that we came upon a Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) sitting discreetly on a milkweed leaf. Read more
Bob and I cannot get enough of exploring the wilderness in Algonquin Provincial Park here in Ontario. It was while hiking the Mizzy Lake Trail that we came upon a Moose cow and her calf standing in the muddy water at one end of a lake. Read more
After a stretch of very rainy weather, we were happy to get out in the field, and we visited Lower Reesor Pond, a wetland in Rouge National Urban Park in Ontario, Canada. Our outing, as usual, was immensely rewarding. Along with birds and animals, we saw several Eastern Gray Tree Frogs. Read more
