Watch That First Step
A Canada Goose nests in a most unlikely place, 14′ up in the hollow of a dead tree. Normally they nest at the waterline, and the goslings start to swim almost as soon as they’re hatched. This particular brood will have to get creative to reach the lagoon once they hatch — Canada Geese can’t […]
Back in School
A school of yellow perch float motionless in front of a remote camera, their numbers seeming to stretch to the underwater horizon. A B-Roll shot by all accounts, but I didn’t know that we have schools of perch this large in our lagoons.
Pike Poise
The rule of beginner’s luck seems to be a photographic constant: deploy new gear to the field, and invariably something interesting will happen. At least the first time, after that you might get nothing for weeks. This marks the first deployment of the FishEYE II, a.k.a. ‘Mr. Floaty’, an update to the original FishEYE I […]
The Lidless Eye II
One of the more difficult angles to work with when photographing snakes, this is a modern update to the original 2008 classic. The 2008 image was photographed with a 4-megapixel Nikon point-and-shoot camera, this updated image was taken with a 21-megapixel Canon SLR, worlds apart in terms of image quality. Still, the original has more […]
Eye of the Beholder
A ridiculous array of Kenko extension tubes — 68mm worth — opens up a garter snake’s eye to fill almost the entire frame.
The Reptile Twins
A pair of garter snakes stare intently before leaving the safety of their hibernaculum in search of an early Spring meal.
Between the Darkness and the Light
A beautiful northern pike undulates towards the camera, sandwiched between the dark lagoon floor and bright overhead sky. Unfortunately, after heavy rains and high wind, the water is also full of flotsam and jetsam: bits of plastic, rubber, and aluminum punctuating an otherwise beautiful natural image. This image was photographed with the FishEYE I underwater […]
Splash of Colour
One of the first turtles to emerge from hibernation, a red-eared slider lends a much-needed splash of colour to the lagoon, still brown and desolate from the long winter.
Ready for the Closeup
A mink peers from a hollow log, trying to see if the coast is clear for its next dash to a safe stopping point.
Mute Portrait
Dramatic lighting falls upon a mute swan as it swims through the intermittent shadows of late March twilight.
Show of Force
A male mute swan spreads his wings outside the camera frame after successfully chasing off another pair of swans from his chosen nesting territory in the lagoon. In contrast, this adolescent’s wings are still only partially developed.
Underwater Buffleheads
A bufflehead duck, white feathers glowing in the gloomy lagoon light, dives in search of food beneath the surface. They’re extremely shy birds, so they’re difficult to photograph normally without extremely long focal length lenses. Underwater remote cameras come into their element in a situation like this, as they unobtrusively monitor the daily life under […]
Business End
A mute swan, seen from an unusual angle, forages on the bottom of the still-desolate lagoon near the edge of what remains of the late spring icepack. Warmer temperatures should complete iceout over the next few days.
Tundra Stopover
A lone tundra swan, easily identifiable by the yellow spot in front of its eyes, stands on thinning ice near Algonquin Island. Rare to see hereabouts, it could have been seperated from this group that flew overhead previously. (Click image to view larger.)
Northern Beauty
During the winter months, the lagoons become almost sterile as all the larger fish head to deeper waters. Crayfish, mink, beavers, and a few smaller fish can occasionally be seen going about their business under the ice, but nothing else. As the ice finally begins to clear out, the larger fish return and get ready […]
Trumpeter Airlines
High overhead, a “wedge” (thanks Don) of swans forms their familiar migratory v-shape. Their black bills indicate that they’re either trumpeter or tundra swans, but trumpeters are often tagged, and since none of these appear to be tagged consensus is leaning towards identifying them as tundra swans.
Numbered Days
And old squaw duck pauses between fishing dives, perfectly reflected in the lagoon’s surface. Their days here this 2010-11 season are already numbered, as migratory birds begin to return to the Islands and increase competition for food.
Coniferous Perch
One of the first black-crowned night herons to return to the Toronto Islands in 2011 perches in snug harbour in this distant twilight shot.
Super Moonsong
A freshly returned blackbird sings to an almost full “supermoon“, adding his voice to the rising cacophony of the wet meadow in springtime.
Sandy Eyes
Fresh from its winter slumber, a Dekay’s Brown snake moves slowly into the sun to help shake off winter’s chill.
Sandy Hands
A beaver eyeballs the camera on Ward’s Beach, its wonderful little hands treating a tasty branch like a cob of corn.
Beaver Teeth
A beaver displays bad manners chewing with its mouth open and covered in food, tasty branches pulled into the waters off Ward’s Beach.
Mink Sprint
A mink, exposed in the open, sprints to safety across the thinning ice of Blockhouse Bay (click for larger image).
Round is a Shape
An extremely round First Robin of Spring roots around in the undergrowth of Centre Island, signalling the official start of Spring (equinox notwithstanding).