Today in Nature: Snowy Owls

January 4th: This isn't the greatest picture, but how could I pass up taking a shot of a snowy owl on a rooftop near my house? One of my friends had watched him all afternoon, and the owners of the house below said they were pretty sure he was munching on a squirrel. The whitest snowy owls are males, and all of them spend the summers hunting above the Arctic Circle, so this fellow has come a long way to spend the winter with us. Many thanks to Colleen Cirillo for telling me about him, and for Victor and Kathy for being his unwitting hosts.

Today in Nature: The Winter Ducks are Here!

November 6th: November is a yucky month for many reasons, but one of the things I like about it is that the winter ducks have started to arrive. This wonderful creature is a Hooded Merganser. The male is the show-off on the right, while his cinnamon-coloured mate on the left has tucked her head into her feathers to avoid the rain. These guys spent the summer way up north, and for them, Toronto is a great place to pass the winter. With luck, the oldsquaws will start arriving soon, another winter favourite.

Today in Nature: Some Northern Shovellers Passing Through

November 3rd: As the winter gloom descends, here's something new in the neighbourhood: there's a flock of Northern Shovelers in High Park right now. They are smaller than mallards, and have a cool, wide bill. They use it to strain water so they can suck in plankton, insects and other small life forms. Dozens of them have stopped by on Grenadier Pond before continuing their flight south for the winter.

Shovellers spend a lot of time with their heads
 in the water, spinning in circles.

A Female Northern Shoveller. 

Today in Nature: The Fall Salmon Run up the Humber River

October 27th: After voting today, I went to the Humber River, where much to my surprise the salmon are still migrating up stream . It is a victory to have fish spawning again, since in the 19th century, industry set up mills on the rivers, bringing fish runs to an end for a long time. Once the mills were gone and the water was cleaned up some, B.C. salmon (introduced) started swimming up stream, and now Atlantic salmon are being reintroduced. And the candidates think running for office is tough....

Today in Nature: Fall Colours on Fire on the Humber River

October 22nd: A beautiful, calm day on the Humber River in Toronto. Herons fishing, robins and sparrows enjoying a less crowded forest now that many of the migrating birds have left. 

Today in Nature: Alpha Males among the Wood Ducks

October 18th: These are wood ducks. The male is the colourful one at the top of the log, followed by his mate, and then a bunch of females, possibly daughters. Down at the bottom of the log there is a duck with an orange bill - that is a juvenile male. Next season he may grow his full colours and be ready to wow the females with his dashing good looks. For now, alpha male gets the best place on the log.

Today in Nature: Deer in Toronto

A White-Tailed Deer near the Humber River in Toronto

Deer can still be found in Toronto, and today I got more proof. I had been walking around a march near the Humber River, north of the Queensway, when I walked up to a meadow on my way back to my bike. But as I looked up, there was a pair of eyes looking at me. I tried to stay as still as I could while still taking pictures. I thought it had been a great day already, having seen a Great Egret in a tree, and a raccoon trying to have a nap. But the deer was definitely the prize of the day. It is awesome that these lovely creatures can still find places to live in a crowded city.

A drowsy raccoon

A Great Egret perching in a tree high above a pond.