Wildlife

Garter snake, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Curve Emergence

A garter snake emerges from its own coils early in the spring of 2009.

Red fox, Algonquin Island, Toronto Islands

Black Ice Reds

A gorgeous red fox steps into the sidelight on the hockey rink off of Algonquin Island, trademark reds on fine display on the black ice.

Red fox, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Stunning Reds

An absolutely stunning red fox poses on the disc golf course, showing off its trademark tail that’s almost as long as its body.


Garter snake, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Welcome Back II

A tighter view of this garter snake as it emerges from the leaf litter, one of the first snakes to appear in 2009.

Garter snake, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Welcome Back I

One of the first garter snakes to emerge in 2009 surfaces in the leaves.

Landing Canada goose, Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands

Touchdown Rain

A Canada goose touches down in a rain of suspended water droplets, near the IYC on the inner harbour side of their island.


Napping cat, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Marble’s World

Marble the Wonder Cat sits in a sunbeam, enjoying light in a place that’s normally in shadow all summer long.

Garter snake, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Serpentine Grid II

Another view of this improbable garter snake, entwined in the protective beaver mesh around the base of a tree near Ward’s beach.

Garter snake, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Serpentine Grid

A garter snake descends through the mesh of a beaver guard, wrapped around a tree on Ward’s beach.


Melanistic garter snake, Ward's Island, Toronto Islands

Forked

A melanistic garter takes a sniff of the fresh springtime air.

Great blue heron, Doughnut Island, Toronto Islands

Blue Waiting

Another great blue heron, completely backlit, wades in the waters off of Doughnut island fishing for dinner.

Great blue heron, Doughnut Island, Toronto Islands

Parallel Bars

A backlit great blue heron perches on the old Doughnut bridge.


Reflected painted turtle, Snug Harbour, Toronto Islands

Mirror Image

A painted turtle basking on a log reflects perfectly in the calm waters of Snug harbour.

Adolescent black-crowned night heron, Doughnut Island, Toronto Islands

Day for Night

A juvenile black-crowned night heron, like this one photographed earlier, fishes along the shoreline of Doughnut island’s Three Fingers.

Black-crowned night heron, Doughnut Island, Toronto Islands

Heron of the Night

A black-crowned night heron perches on a stump near Doughnut island.


Adolescent mallard duck, Snake Island, Toronto Islands

Mallard Adolescence

A mallard duck, half duckling fur and half adult feathers, swims by Snake Island.

Great egret, Long Pond, Toronto Islands

Ground Effect

Wings outstretched, a great egret glides in ground effect by the IYC.

Sleeping black-crowned night heron, Doughnut Island, Toronto Islands

Catnap

One of my favourite things about kayak-based photography: you can be completely silent. Here a black-crowned night heron naps the afternoon away, beak tucked in wing, completely undisturbed and unaware that I’m even there.


Cormorant chick, Norgate Inlet, Georgian Bay

Cormorant Chicken

A cormorant chick, bare to the world, peers unabashedly at the camera. Tagged as related, this chick was photographed offshore from the Norgate Inlet in Georgian Bay.

Cormorant Fledglings, Norgate Inlet, Georgian Bay

Fledgling Fuzz II

Cormorant fledglings, now covered in a fine layer of fur, nuzzle each other and await their parent’s return with a fresh delivery of food. Tagged as related, these were photographed offshore from the Norgate Inlet in Georgian Bay.

Merganzer duckings on mothers back, Massassauga Provincial Park, Georgian Bay

Merganser Riding

Merganser ducklings ride their mother’s back, set against the folded granite of the Canadian Shield in Massassauga Provincial Park, Georgian Bay.  Tagged as related.


Mallard ducklings, Algonquin Island, Toronto Islands

Cute as a Duckling

Deliciously cute mallard duckings look as soft as kittens before their feathers begin to grow in.

Juvenile Canada geese, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Bad Hair Day II

Juvenile Canada geese begin to look a bit ratty as their fur gives way to feathers, just like these mute swan cygnets.

Juvenile mute swans, Centre Island, Toronto Islands

Bad Hair Day

Mute swan juveniles begin to look a bit ratty as their fur gives way to feathers, just like these Canada geese juveniles.


UA-1732909-7