Ever since I got into birding I’ve come to appreciate what seems like a very obvious cliché: the more you open your eyes, the more you see. The more I learn about the natural world and the more I learn about plants and animals, the more I seem to notice the beauty and abundance of […]
It was more than eight years ago that I first heard about the Hawk Watch, run by Big Frank, over at Rosetta McClain Gardens (near Danforth Avenue and Kingston Road). During my first visit I found Frank standing by the fence that keeps people from getting too close and personal with the Scarborough Bluffs. I […]
As many of my readers know, after work I often go to Bluffers Park to see the swans, ducks, geese, and even the various types of gulls. On one particular day there were 30-plus Trumpeter Swans, a few Mute Swans, and even one special little cygnet (baby swan) I’ve taken to calling Coral. With a […]
Ahhhh yes! It’s finally a beautiful Saturday, and a great opportunity for me to get outside. Without a cloud in the sky, Donna, Pam and I headed to Ashbridges Bay to see if there were any wintering ducks around. On arrival we could hear a few ducks (the yodeling of the Long-tailed ducks is quite […]
As anyone who’s checked out my blogs knows by now, one of my favourite birds is the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). It was the first bird that I really got the chance to study. The way they fly, build nests, feed, care for and teach their young has always fascinated me. Among their amazing behaviours, […]
Recently, on one of those lovely spring mornings we’ve been having, I looked out my front window to see the most bizarre bird behaviour between a pair of American Robins. When I first noticed them I went outside, grabbing my camera as always, and sat on my steps to get a better view. At first […]
The air is cooler and the leaves are falling, dropping bright colours on our sidewalks. The last minute birds, butterflies and hawks are flying south. It’s time to wear your warm jackets, winter hats, and gloves to start looking for fall and winter birds. How can you help and enjoy the birds during the coming […]
Did you know that the annual southern migration of raptors, also known as ‘birds of prey’, goes right past our front doorstep each fall? Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, Turkey Vultures, Broad-winged Hawks, and even Golden Eagles fly by each day during this period. When conditions are right, they soar right through the Beach area. […]
I look outside and sitting there in the pine tree in glorious colour is the male. In the maple tree is the female. I have been waiting for the rose-breasted grosbeaks to return. For the past four years they have arrived by the end of the month of April. The adult male in breeding plumage […]
