By ANN BROKELMAN Take a minute, maybe a few, and just go outside and listen to the sounds of the birds. I think we can all appreciate it, because we all notice it. After a long winter, waking up one morning and realizing the birds are singing is rejuvenating. Don’t we tell our friends/family/co-workers about […]
By ANN BROKELMAN Just the other day I was sitting on the side of a pond by the Brick Works, hoping for a couple shots of some of the returning migrant birds who like to nest in the area. While I came to this spot for that particular reason, in these moments I generally like […]
By ANN BROKELMAN Perhaps my biggest guilty pleasure, aside from my photography of course, are my bird feeders. I regularly purchase salt free peanuts, black oiled sunflower seeds, fresh suet, premium bird feed, and niger feed. So, why do I do it? Probably the same reason many of you keep a simple bird feeder in […]
By ANN BROKELMAN While over the years I have seen many owls, if all you ever saw were my posted photos or heard were my favourite stories, you might assume it is easy to find them. Unfortunately, when friends assume this and then come to visit and ask me to take them to see one, […]
By ANN BROKELMAN Just because it may be more comfortable to stay inside, by the fire or just under some blankets, doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of amazing birding to be done around our city. Yes, it may not be as pleasant to be outside as it is in the spring and summer, but […]
By ANN BROKELMAN With winter just around the corner, the ducks, grebes and loons will begin heading to their wintering grounds. Common Loons, which are usually heard, if not always seen, further north when people go camping or visit the cottage, are currently being spotted down by Lake Ontario. In October at the hawk watch […]
This is going to be a fun article for me. Many of you know that I love my raptor watching, and over the years I have seen hawks, eagles and osprey, among other birds, in some pretty strange places. I love raptors, and I have been lucky to help rescue a few and also release them […]
While I’ve written stories about Monarch butterflies before, and I’m sure you’ve read or watched something about their amazing migration to Mexico, this story will touch on a much darker aspect of their lives: their uncontrollable aggression. As I lounged on my friend Dianne’s front yard watching the beautiful Monarch butterflies flying around, their orange […]
Is it fair for me to say that I have a favourite bird? I feel that every second article I write says some variation of “this is my favourite bird because of X,Y,Z.” Well, not this time. This week I’ll tell you about one of the most frustrating birds to take pictures of: the swallow. […]
Does this classic kid’s song ring a bell? “Five little ducks went out to play, over the hill and far away, momma duck says, ‘quack quack quack’, but only four little ducks came back” In reality, at this point in the song momma duck is thinking about where her duckling went? While this song ends […]
