Take a second look …
The yellow eyes of the Saw-whet Owl are so startling, their gaze so steady, that we tend to ignore everything else. It’s easy to miss the trace of blood just below the owl’s bill, a smear of something that changes the way we look at the bird, that deepens our understanding of it. What discoveries might we make if we took that second look more often, if we trained ourselves to see?
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Two Owls: A Photo Essay
With the approach of winter, the owls have returned to Toronto. Every year at this time, they come down from the boreal forest and northern tundra looking for food. They like to hang out in forested areas near the Toronto lakeshore, where they find a plentiful supply of rabbits, squirrels, meadow voles, field mice, and song birds to prey on. Some of these owls just stop off for a day or two on their way further south, while others dig in for the whole winter. On a recent walk, I ran across examples of the largest and smallest of the … Read more
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Butterflies of the Carden Alvar: Part Two, the Commas
My problem with Commas is one of disappointment. Three species of Comma—the Eastern, the Gray, and the Green—appear in Southern Ontario; but in Toronto, where I do most of my butterflying, I’ve only ever seen the Eastern. Each time I find another Comma, I hope it’s something different. But when I come home and examine the photos on my desktop, I’m invariably disappointed: just another Eastern. This has been happening for years. So when I drove up to the Carden Alvar on July 31st to look for types of butterflies I don’t usually see in Toronto, a different species of … Read more
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Butterflies of the Carden Alvar: Part One, the Fritillaries
I hate driving. With all my heart and soul, I hate to get behind the wheel and press my foot on the gas. But that didn’t stop me from renting a car on the last day of July and driving two hours north of Toronto to the Carden Alvar Provincial Park. I wanted to see types of butterflies I can’t find in Toronto, and this desire was so strong—for something new! for rich colors!—that it overcame my reluctance to drive. Since the park boasts an ecology that’s rare almost to the point of uniqueness, I knew my chances of finding … Read more
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