© Lora Denis
Eastern towhee © Larsek c/o Shutterstock
I knew that the time would come when I’d have to commit to learning bird songs in earnest. I’ve toyed with the idea before, even laughed that yes, I was on my way to becoming one of those birders, downloaded an app, and then proceeded to abandon the whole enterprise after I nearly drove my ...
The first time I went out to look at birds, I had no idea what I was doing. Not only did I show up without binoculars, but I didn’t even know how to refer to the activity. When I met my birding group for the first time in a parking lot in Mississauga, I asked: ...
International Women’s Day, last Friday, presents an ideal opportunity to celebrate illustrious women birders. The remarkable Phoebe Snetsinger comes to mind immediately, she was the first person to acquire a life list with more than 8,000 birds. Snetsinger’s story is documented in her autobiography, Birding on Borrowed Time, whose title refers to an incurable cancer ...
Short-eared owl © Peter Ferguson
On a stormy midwinter morning, conservation staff Laura Robson, Megan Anevich, James Paterson and I piled into a car and set out on a road trip to visit the Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve. This trip wasn’t just a joyride. We headed out with a clear purpose in mind: to find the elusive short-eared owl.
Loggerhead shrike © Laurie L Snidow
This weekend, I saw a new side to nature. On Saturday, I joined the welcoming and highly knowledgeable birders of the Toronto Ornithological Club on an outing to Humber Bay and Colonel Samuel Smith Parks. There were reports of a western grebe in the vicinity, and all of us were giddy at the possible sighting, ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority