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Polar Bears
November 11 , 2024
Hi Everyone!
Since my last update at Thanksgiving, Jim and I have been doing much the same - visiting friends and family, enjoying nature, and travelling.
Even though autumn was late in coming this year, we were able to enjoy some local colour before leaving for Churchill.
Since my last update at Thanksgiving, Jim and I have been doing much the same - visiting friends and family, enjoying nature, and travelling.
Even though autumn was late in coming this year, we were able to enjoy some local colour before leaving for Churchill.
In late October, we travelled to Wainfleet and enjoyed a nice visit with Tori and Aaron.
We were reminded of how important the support of family is in times of sadness and heartbreak when my Aunt Dee passed away unexpectedly on October 8 and just weeks later, my Uncle Arend also passed. It was very difficult for my mother to lose two siblings in one month but it was inspiring to witness the love and strength of family that surrounded Mom to provide support and comfort.
Jim has completed 14 treatments now. In my last update, I told you that we were meeting with the doctor to discuss MRI results. The news did not seem great to us as it showed some growth in the tumours on Jim's liver, however, the doctor did explain that with immunotherapy this sometimes happens so not to panic just yet. We have another CT scan scheduled later in November and an MRI in January which will give us a much better picture of what is going on. Jim's symptoms are still manageable and we are continuing to travel. If you run into Jim on the street, you will notice that his hair is much whiter and his skin paler as this is one of the side effects of the treatment.
On Halloween, Jim and I flew to Winnipeg and then on November 2 we flew into Churchill to begin a photography trip looking for polar bears and other Arctic wildlife in Northern Manitoba. A bucket list item for both of us!!
The very first photo I took in Churchill was this gorgeous Cross Fox. We saw quite a few of these beauties during the week.
Jim has completed 14 treatments now. In my last update, I told you that we were meeting with the doctor to discuss MRI results. The news did not seem great to us as it showed some growth in the tumours on Jim's liver, however, the doctor did explain that with immunotherapy this sometimes happens so not to panic just yet. We have another CT scan scheduled later in November and an MRI in January which will give us a much better picture of what is going on. Jim's symptoms are still manageable and we are continuing to travel. If you run into Jim on the street, you will notice that his hair is much whiter and his skin paler as this is one of the side effects of the treatment.
On Halloween, Jim and I flew to Winnipeg and then on November 2 we flew into Churchill to begin a photography trip looking for polar bears and other Arctic wildlife in Northern Manitoba. A bucket list item for both of us!!
The very first photo I took in Churchill was this gorgeous Cross Fox. We saw quite a few of these beauties during the week.
Other highlights of the first afternoon included seeing my first Polar Bear and also watching this mother and cub on the ice.
I debated on how best to describe our trip to Churchill and I have decided just to take you through each day and post a few of the highlights.
Each morning we would get up at 5:30 am so we would have lots of time to get cleaned up, eat breakfast, and prepare our lunch. We would generally pack our lunch and snacks so that if we were on a bear, we could stay as long as we liked.
Highlights for Sunday included a photo shoot with a Cross Fox and watching a gorgeous polar bear walk along the shore of Hudson's Bay.
Each morning we would get up at 5:30 am so we would have lots of time to get cleaned up, eat breakfast, and prepare our lunch. We would generally pack our lunch and snacks so that if we were on a bear, we could stay as long as we liked.
Highlights for Sunday included a photo shoot with a Cross Fox and watching a gorgeous polar bear walk along the shore of Hudson's Bay.
On Monday, it was a female polar bear and her two COYs which stole the show. "COY" means "cub of the year" which indicates that the cubs were born earlier this year.
We watched these bears from afar for a long time and were finally rewarded when she started to breast feed the cubs. A totally intimate and moving experience!
We watched these bears from afar for a long time and were finally rewarded when she started to breast feed the cubs. A totally intimate and moving experience!
Each day our group would be divided into three vans and we would take turns sitting in the front seat beside the guide/driver.
Tuesday was my day to sit up front and what a day!! I had amazing views of many polar bears and witnessed two bears sparring for the first time. We spent hours watching two young male bears wrestling and fighting likely in preparation for mating season. It was a friendly fight and they often looked like they were really enjoying themselves.
I saw what I thought was my first Willow Ptarmigan only to find that one of my photos of a female with her cub also included a ptarmigan that I didn't even see until I downloaded my photos!
We also saw the only Silver Fox we would see on this trip.
It was a special moment when we witnessed a Mom and her two COYs coming down the road toward us. Wow!!
Tuesday was my day to sit up front and what a day!! I had amazing views of many polar bears and witnessed two bears sparring for the first time. We spent hours watching two young male bears wrestling and fighting likely in preparation for mating season. It was a friendly fight and they often looked like they were really enjoying themselves.
I saw what I thought was my first Willow Ptarmigan only to find that one of my photos of a female with her cub also included a ptarmigan that I didn't even see until I downloaded my photos!
We also saw the only Silver Fox we would see on this trip.
It was a special moment when we witnessed a Mom and her two COYs coming down the road toward us. Wow!!
Each day offered more bears including adult males, females with COYS and females with older cubs. We also had many opportunities to shoot red foxes as we found them everywhere!
Wednesday was the coldest day of our trip. There was quite a brisk wind. Jim caught a cold early in the trip and I started to feel it on Wednesday. I was chilled to the bone by the time we got back and I couldn't wait to get into a hot shower.
Wednesday was the coldest day of our trip. There was quite a brisk wind. Jim caught a cold early in the trip and I started to feel it on Wednesday. I was chilled to the bone by the time we got back and I couldn't wait to get into a hot shower.
Thursday morning began with photographing a sleeping bear on top of the rocks with Hudson Bay behind him. It was still quite dark so not a perfect photo but I liked the snow on his back.
In the afternoon, we were watching a bear walking toward the highway and then we watched as he stood right up beside the road sign! Jim was able to grab this photo through the windshield before he continued on his way.
We also had a couple of photo ops with some Willow Ptarmigan and we finished the day with an Arctic Hare! Great spotting by one of our group!
In the afternoon, we were watching a bear walking toward the highway and then we watched as he stood right up beside the road sign! Jim was able to grab this photo through the windshield before he continued on his way.
We also had a couple of photo ops with some Willow Ptarmigan and we finished the day with an Arctic Hare! Great spotting by one of our group!
Our final morning was a bit quieter but we did have the opportunity to photograph this beautiful young male walking along the beach.
This was definitely the trip of a lifetime. We were fortunate to see so many active bears. It was lucky that the Bay hadn't frozen over yet as the bears leave Churchill to go and hunt seals as soon as they can get out on the ice.
Jim and I would highly recommend 'Wild Outdoors Photography' (www.wildoutdoors.ca) if you are thinking about looking for polar bears in Churchill. Michael, Julia and Eric were amazing tour guides (and drivers too!). We have photographed moose and loons with Michael in the past and have always had a great experience.
I hope you have enjoyed sharing this amazing experience with us.
This was definitely the trip of a lifetime. We were fortunate to see so many active bears. It was lucky that the Bay hadn't frozen over yet as the bears leave Churchill to go and hunt seals as soon as they can get out on the ice.
Jim and I would highly recommend 'Wild Outdoors Photography' (www.wildoutdoors.ca) if you are thinking about looking for polar bears in Churchill. Michael, Julia and Eric were amazing tour guides (and drivers too!). We have photographed moose and loons with Michael in the past and have always had a great experience.
I hope you have enjoyed sharing this amazing experience with us.
Happy Thanksgiving
October 14 , 2024
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Since my last update, Jim has continued to have weekly treatments and is now up to #11. He had an MRI on October 1 and we are meeting with the doctor next week to discuss the results and next steps.
We continue to stay busy visiting friends and family as well as taking some time for just the two of us.
In September we visited one of our favourite places - Algonquin Park. The trees were just beginning to turn so we saw only a hint of colour but we enjoyed some hiking and we even found a bit of wildlife too!
We then headed to Ottawa to visit Jim's son and partner as well as his brother and sister-in-law. Before leaving Ottawa we stopped at a great birding spot called Mud Lake. We have never been disappointed! Another great mini vacation and then back to Toronto for the next treatment.
We continue to stay busy visiting friends and family as well as taking some time for just the two of us.
In September we visited one of our favourite places - Algonquin Park. The trees were just beginning to turn so we saw only a hint of colour but we enjoyed some hiking and we even found a bit of wildlife too!
We then headed to Ottawa to visit Jim's son and partner as well as his brother and sister-in-law. Before leaving Ottawa we stopped at a great birding spot called Mud Lake. We have never been disappointed! Another great mini vacation and then back to Toronto for the next treatment.
Our next adventure took us to Leamington where we attended the OFO (Ontario Field Ornithologists) Convention and attended several birding hikes at Point Pelee, Wheatley and Erieau. We enjoyed connecting with many of the birding friends we have made over the past few years. AND we had a great opportunity to wear our bird clothes!
We try to take a week off between travelling so the week after the convention we concentrated on house stuff and visiting family in London. My sister Linda and I attended the Camera Canada Day at Pioneer Village where we had the opportunity to photograph some raptors (from the Canadian Raptor Conservancy) which was fun. My favourite photo from the day was this Great-horned Owl.
This past week has been very special for us as we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. We were married on October 10 during Covid so it was a very small but memorable event (10.10.2020). Jim suggested that we fly to Tofino, BC to celebrate, so last Wednesday (the day after his eleventh treatment), we flew to Victoria and then drove to Tofino (otherwise known as the surfing capital of Canada).
We enjoyed:
- Reminiscing about the past four years (five counting back to when we met in Africa!)
We enjoyed:
- Reminiscing about the past four years (five counting back to when we met in Africa!)
- Sitting on the balcony of our hotel drinking wine and watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean
- Having lunch at the Pointe restaurant while enjoying the waves and watching the surfers
- Hiking the rainforest trails and walking along the beach
- Taking a whale watching tour and looking for other wildlife
Visiting a fish hatchery to look for bears (usually we go to the dump!)
- Birding - of course!!
Tonight we are going to my sister's house to celebrate Thanksgiving with 24 other members of my family.
Jim and I have talked a lot lately about how fortunate we are to have found each other and how thankful we are to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family. We love you all!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jim and I have talked a lot lately about how fortunate we are to have found each other and how thankful we are to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family. We love you all!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoying Every Moment
September 3, 2024
For the time being, Jim's treatment days seem to always fall on Tuesdays. We take Wednesdays as a down day and then try to plan any activities between Thursdays and Sundays. That gives me Mondays to do laundry, clean the house, etc. Jim has had five treatments now and each one has been a little better than the last in terms of side effects. In fact, last week, here was Jim the day after his treatment - digging a trench in our front garden to replace the drain pipe!
Jim had to bring his car in to Exeter for service on Thursday morning so I went with him and we continued on to Owen Sound from there. We took the scenic route via Kincardine and Port Elgin and stopped at the first of three waterfalls just outside of Owen Sound (Jones Falls at Potawatomi Conservation Area). There wasn't a lot of water there but it was nice to stretch our legs after spending a couple of hours in the car.
We started our day on Friday at Hibou Conservation area. There had been a lot of rain during the night and lucky for us, a bunch of warblers decided to take a break from migrating and land in the trees close to the shore. The highlight of the day for me was a Wilson's Warbler (which Jim found :-))
After Hibou, we drove to some of the neighbouring towns. Meaford was by far my favourite. The first thing I saw when we parked the car were old bicycles painted and tied to light posts and little birdhouses hanging in the trees. Obviously a town for Jim and I! In addition to having a beautiful waterfront, Meaford also decorates the town with scarecrows every fall - they are everywhere! Here a few photos from Meaford:
After Meaford, we headed to Thornbury for lunch where, of course, Jim has a Thornbury Cider. After lunch, we walked along the river for a little way and came upon a white squirrel!
From Thornbury we drove to Collingwood harbour to look for some ducks. It was a gorgeous, hot, sunny day so you can imagine our dismay when the A/C in our car went on the fritz! The only damper to our otherwise perfect day!
Saturday morning, we drove to Stayner to visit the sewage lagoons. We added a few birds to our trip list including some nice warblers. Lunch in Creemore and then a stop at Eugenia Falls Conservation Area for a short walk and then we headed back to Owen Sound for a nice walk around the harbour and a great dinner at our hotel, Best Western Inn on the Bay.
Saturday morning, we drove to Stayner to visit the sewage lagoons. We added a few birds to our trip list including some nice warblers. Lunch in Creemore and then a stop at Eugenia Falls Conservation Area for a short walk and then we headed back to Owen Sound for a nice walk around the harbour and a great dinner at our hotel, Best Western Inn on the Bay.
Sunday, we began our day back at the Hibou Conservation Area and although this time it was very quiet for birds, we saw a gorgeous sunrise. We then headed to the best of the three waterfalls, Inglis Falls. We did a 3 km hike along the Bruce Trail before heading for home, stopping along the way to have lunch with our favourite granddaughter.
Labour Day ended with dinner with friends and family. A perfect end to another great week.
As I write this, we are on the GO train to Toronto for Jim's sixth treatment. Time is flying by but we are happy to report things are going well and we are living our dream of enjoying every day, travelling when we can, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Life Changes
August 21, 2024
You never know what is around the corner. One minute Jim and I are busy planning our Big Canada Year for 2025: prioritizing birds to chase, provinces to visit and places to see, etc; and the next thing we know, we have shelved those plans and replaced them with prioritizing what is more important and what brings us the most joy in our lives.
In 2011, Jim was treated for a rare cancer called uveal (ocular) melanoma. With the exception of getting some ongoing shots in his eye every couple of months, he has not had any symptoms and had put this experience behind him. On June 27 we were totally blown away when a routine MRI follow-up showed a number of spots on his liver. What a shock! This was the Thursday before the Canada Day long Weekend. On Friday, Jim had a regular eye appointment at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto so I booked a train ticket and went with him to speak to the experts. They reviewed the MRI results and immediately referred us to the oncology department.
We went home, still trying to absorb this scary news and made one decision immediately. No matter what became of this, we were going to continue to stay positive, enjoy every day and make every moment count. The first thing we did was to book a flight to Halifax. We figured that nothing much would happen for at least a week since it was a holiday and short work week so we chose a part of Canada that was on our list for next year knowing that there is a good chance we will not make it back there again.
Here are some of our favourite photos from the trip:
In 2011, Jim was treated for a rare cancer called uveal (ocular) melanoma. With the exception of getting some ongoing shots in his eye every couple of months, he has not had any symptoms and had put this experience behind him. On June 27 we were totally blown away when a routine MRI follow-up showed a number of spots on his liver. What a shock! This was the Thursday before the Canada Day long Weekend. On Friday, Jim had a regular eye appointment at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto so I booked a train ticket and went with him to speak to the experts. They reviewed the MRI results and immediately referred us to the oncology department.
We went home, still trying to absorb this scary news and made one decision immediately. No matter what became of this, we were going to continue to stay positive, enjoy every day and make every moment count. The first thing we did was to book a flight to Halifax. We figured that nothing much would happen for at least a week since it was a holiday and short work week so we chose a part of Canada that was on our list for next year knowing that there is a good chance we will not make it back there again.
Here are some of our favourite photos from the trip:
Jim and I at Peggy's Cove.
Some of the birds we found along the way.
From top left: Common Yellowthroat, Red-throated Loon, Swamp Sparrow, Great Shearwater, Willet, Song Sparrow with Ladybug
From top left: Common Yellowthroat, Red-throated Loon, Swamp Sparrow, Great Shearwater, Willet, Song Sparrow with Ladybug
We went on an amazing whale-watching tour out of Brier Island. We would highly recommend Mariner Cruises if you want to see lots of action out on the water. Lots of whales, porpoises, dolphins, sea birds and even a Basking Shark.
Since we have returned from Nova Scotia, much has happened. Many trips to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for bloodwork, biopsy, CT scan and treatment. We now have a firm diagnosis of what was suspected - Metastatic Uveal Melanoma. Fortunately, in the past few years, there has been a lot of progress with medications and Jim was eligible to receive a fairly new drug called Kimmtrak (tebentafusp) which was only approved in Ontario in 2024 and has proven to be successful in extending the survival rate of patients by an average of six months.
We are not sure what lies ahead or how long we have left together but we do know that we intend to make the best of it. Jim has to get a treatment every week in Toronto, but we hope at some point to move the treatments to London to save on travel time. After four treatments, Jim's side effects have been minimal and he is feeling quite good overall. This means that we usually have five good days to visit friends and family and try to see some of the hotspots that were originally in the plan for next year.
We would love to hear from you if you have any great ideas for short 1-5 day mini vacations in Canada. We are making some new plans!
Thank you to all of you who have assisted in our planning for our 2025 Big Canada Year and who have purchased pins to support the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We still have a limited supply of pins left so if you would like to purchase one for $10, please let me know. All of the proceeds will still be given to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The focus of my blog has obviously changed but I hope to continue to provide updates on our medical journey as well as mini travelogues of great places to see in Canada.
We are not sure what lies ahead or how long we have left together but we do know that we intend to make the best of it. Jim has to get a treatment every week in Toronto, but we hope at some point to move the treatments to London to save on travel time. After four treatments, Jim's side effects have been minimal and he is feeling quite good overall. This means that we usually have five good days to visit friends and family and try to see some of the hotspots that were originally in the plan for next year.
We would love to hear from you if you have any great ideas for short 1-5 day mini vacations in Canada. We are making some new plans!
Thank you to all of you who have assisted in our planning for our 2025 Big Canada Year and who have purchased pins to support the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We still have a limited supply of pins left so if you would like to purchase one for $10, please let me know. All of the proceeds will still be given to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The focus of my blog has obviously changed but I hope to continue to provide updates on our medical journey as well as mini travelogues of great places to see in Canada.
Canada's Most Enthusiastic Birding Tourists go to Switzerland
June 2, 2024
As promised, here is Part 2 of our spring trip to Europe. After a wonderful couple of weeks in the Netherlands (see Part 1 dated May 11, 2024), Jim and I flew to Zurich where we spent ten days with our good friends Barbara and Bernard. They organized a fantastic itinerary that included all of our favourite things: birding, photography, bicycling (for Jim), sightseeing, eating and wine!
On the afternoon of our first day, we visited Flachsee which is one of the top birding places near Zurich. Much to everyone's surprise, it starting snowing on our way there. Even the birds were surprised - I am pretty sure that this White Stork was not expecting snow on April 21!
On the afternoon of our first day, we visited Flachsee which is one of the top birding places near Zurich. Much to everyone's surprise, it starting snowing on our way there. Even the birds were surprised - I am pretty sure that this White Stork was not expecting snow on April 21!
The next day we visited the charming town of Schaffhausen. Switzerland is full of these quaint towns, many of which have a preserved section called the Old Town with fabulous architecture, fountains and lovely shops. We also went to see the Rhine Falls which is Europe's largest waterfall.
Travelling around Switzerland is very easy. They have a great transit system and we could travel by bus, metro, tram, train and boat on the same ticket. We took the train to Zermatt the following day with stops in Zurich and Bern to visit the towns and do a little shopping.
For those of you who are not familiar with Zermatt, it is the mountain town that is home to the most famous mountain in Europe called the Matterhorn (the famous landmark feature on the wrappers of Toblerone bars!).
On one of our two full days in Zermatt, we travelled by train to Gornergrat, a 3,000 metre high mountain ridge with a viewing platform that has an amazing view of the Matterhorn (which stands tall at 4,458 metres). The next day we travelled by Gondola to the highest cable car station in Europe called the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise for another look at the Matterhorn from a different perspective. If we had more time, we could have taken the cable car down the other side and had dinner in Italy. Very cool! Next time for sure!
The next day we left Zermatt and travelled by train on the Glacier Express taking the very scenic route back to Zurich.
During our last few days, Jim and Bernard went for a bike ride while Barbara and I went back to Flachsee for more birding. We also went to Lucerne, a cheese factory in Emmenthal, and the Lindt chocolate factory in Kilchberg where they had a chocolate fountain that was over nine metres tall!!
During our last few days, Jim and Bernard went for a bike ride while Barbara and I went back to Flachsee for more birding. We also went to Lucerne, a cheese factory in Emmenthal, and the Lindt chocolate factory in Kilchberg where they had a chocolate fountain that was over nine metres tall!!
We love everything about Switzerland: seeing mountains everywhere, the old towns, and especially the food! We had cheese fondue for dinner one night, a raclette, Weiner Schnitzel (my favourite!), Rosti, lots of great wine and, of course, lots of apple desserts for Jim!
In Switzerland, I found 59 species of birds with 15 of them being lifers and new additions to my world list. I was surprised to find two of them high in the snow-covered mountains. I'll finish with a few of my favourite bird photos.
Canada's Most Enthusiastic Birding Tourists go to the Netherlands
May 11, 2024
A little over a year ago, I promised Jim that I would go on a Bike and Barge trip with him on one condition. I needed a year’s notice so that I could properly train and we needed to spend one month in Florida in February so that we could train through the winter. Although I wasn’t really all that keen on going cycling for a whole week, I figured that it was only fair that I do this for Jim since he is taking me birding across Canada for a whole year :-)!
So we booked the trip and I started to train. Unfortunately, Florida was so expensive, we changed our plans and went to Madeira instead. The narrow roads and many steep hills weren’t conducive to cycling but we did spend a lot of time hiking which at least gave my legs a good workout!
When we returned, I started training in earnest, mostly riding indoors but going for short rides outside whenever we could. I was very nervous that I wouldn’t be strong enough and would be holding up the group. Here I am coming back from a training ride:
So we booked the trip and I started to train. Unfortunately, Florida was so expensive, we changed our plans and went to Madeira instead. The narrow roads and many steep hills weren’t conducive to cycling but we did spend a lot of time hiking which at least gave my legs a good workout!
When we returned, I started training in earnest, mostly riding indoors but going for short rides outside whenever we could. I was very nervous that I wouldn’t be strong enough and would be holding up the group. Here I am coming back from a training ride:
Now that the trip is over and I survived, I can say that I am very happy that I did it (and without using an e-bike too!).
Our days usually involved having breakfast on the barge, hopping on our bikes around 9 a.m., riding and sight–seeing until 4 or 5 while the barge travelled to the next destination, and then spending the evening on board where we received a delicious home-cooked meal and enjoyed the company of our new friends.
It really was a wonderful way to see the Netherlands. We started our trip in Amsterdam and visited the beautiful and historic towns of Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam, Gouda, and Alsmeer. We learned that Holland is made up of only two of the Dutch provinces North and South Holland but that the entire country with 12 provinces in total is called the Netherlands. We knew that the country has an amazing bicycle path system but what surprised us was the amount of beautiful green space that we rode through. We loved riding along the canals and through the many forested areas on our travels.
Highlights of the tour included visiting the Keukenhof, a famous flower garden that is only open for six weeks every year, riding through the many tulip fields, visiting the Delft pottery factory, the cheese market in Gouda and the flower auction in Alsmeer.
Our days usually involved having breakfast on the barge, hopping on our bikes around 9 a.m., riding and sight–seeing until 4 or 5 while the barge travelled to the next destination, and then spending the evening on board where we received a delicious home-cooked meal and enjoyed the company of our new friends.
It really was a wonderful way to see the Netherlands. We started our trip in Amsterdam and visited the beautiful and historic towns of Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam, Gouda, and Alsmeer. We learned that Holland is made up of only two of the Dutch provinces North and South Holland but that the entire country with 12 provinces in total is called the Netherlands. We knew that the country has an amazing bicycle path system but what surprised us was the amount of beautiful green space that we rode through. We loved riding along the canals and through the many forested areas on our travels.
Highlights of the tour included visiting the Keukenhof, a famous flower garden that is only open for six weeks every year, riding through the many tulip fields, visiting the Delft pottery factory, the cheese market in Gouda and the flower auction in Alsmeer.
We really enjoyed the Dutch cuisine which included pancakes, croquettes and much apple pie. It is a Dutch custom that every time you are served coffee, it comes with a treat and Jim was delighted that this often turned out to be apple cake or pie!
After our week on the barge was over, we spent several days visiting some of my Dutch relatives. We had super visits and they spoiled us with great food and showing us more of the Netherlands. Fortunately they all spoke very good English and we had no troubles communicating!
We spent our last few days birding near the northwest coast of the Netherlands. A birder friend of mine (thanks Joanne!) connected me with a Dutch birder (Ruud) that she met in 2022 when he was birding here in Ontario. As it turned out, I discovered that I had also met him while I was doing my big year in Ontario. We were at Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh on the same day and I had memories of the “Dutch birders” finding the Bell’s Vireo at Point Pelee.
Jim and I took the ferry from Den Helder over to Texel Island where Ruud met us. He was a wonderful host and ever though the weather wasn’t very cooperative, I was able to log 77 birds with many of them being lifers for me. Thanks Ruud for a wonderful day. We look forward to coming back to your beautiful island!
Here are a few of my favourite bird photos from the Netherlands:
We spent our last few days birding near the northwest coast of the Netherlands. A birder friend of mine (thanks Joanne!) connected me with a Dutch birder (Ruud) that she met in 2022 when he was birding here in Ontario. As it turned out, I discovered that I had also met him while I was doing my big year in Ontario. We were at Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh on the same day and I had memories of the “Dutch birders” finding the Bell’s Vireo at Point Pelee.
Jim and I took the ferry from Den Helder over to Texel Island where Ruud met us. He was a wonderful host and ever though the weather wasn’t very cooperative, I was able to log 77 birds with many of them being lifers for me. Thanks Ruud for a wonderful day. We look forward to coming back to your beautiful island!
Here are a few of my favourite bird photos from the Netherlands:
Stay tuned for highlights from Switzerland. I still have many photos to sort through!
Our New Logo
April 1, 2024
It’s hard to a believe that it’s April already. I look forward to seeing many of you during spring migration. As Jim and I continue to plan for our 2025 Big Canada Year, we would love to hear from you if you have any favourite birding spots across Canada or if you know of any other cool tourist attractions that we could visit during our travels. We are adding to the list every day!
Jim has just finished updating my website and we are very excited to share the new logo that Jim’s daughter designed for us. We wanted the design to reflect our love of Canada, birding and travelling as well as commemorate our Big Year. We think she has done an awesome job!
Jim has just finished updating my website and we are very excited to share the new logo that Jim’s daughter designed for us. We wanted the design to reflect our love of Canada, birding and travelling as well as commemorate our Big Year. We think she has done an awesome job!
She has also designed a Canada 2025 souvenir pin that we will be selling for $10 each with all proceeds going to Nature Conservancy of Canada. We chose this organization because their mission and values speak to our love of nature and goal to help conserve the amazing natural environment the we call home.
Our next big step is to try and plan a route that will include visiting as many interesting attractions as possible at the best time of the year to find as many different birds as possible. Not an easy task! As we mentioned earlier, we plan to visit every province and territory at least once as well as fit in a couple of pelagic tours. It is going to be an epic adventure for Canada’s Most Enthusiastic Birding Tourists.
My plan is to post photos on the website during our travels as well as post regular blogs. If you would like to be notified when there is a new blog post, please make sure to sign up for email notices.
My plan is to post photos on the website during our travels as well as post regular blogs. If you would like to be notified when there is a new blog post, please make sure to sign up for email notices.
Our Trip to Madeira
March 11, 2024
When Jim suggested going to Madeira in February for a winter getaway I was thrilled to be going to a new country with new sites to explore and of course, new birds to see. I soon found out that winter is one of the worst times to go birding in Madeira! Even so, we found 17 new birds for my world list and got some lovely photos (Island Canary, Cory’s Shearwater, Madeira Chaffinch, Berthelot’s Pipit, Eurasian Blackbird, Eurasian Blackcap).
We went on two separate dolphin and whale watching cruises which were a lot of fun. The first one was on a catamaran and we found some Short-fin Pilot Whales. It was nice to be on the ocean and see some of the coastline from the water. The second trip was more of an adventure. The water was quite rough and we were in a much smaller boat with only twelve seats that we had to straddle. The photo below shows the type of boat we were on. We drove 7 or 8 miles straight out into the ocean at high speeds until we found a number of seabirds on the water waiting for the dolphins to stir up some fish for them. I was as excited about seeing the Cory’s Shearwaters (lifer) as I was about seeing the dolphins. We saw four different species of dolphins on this trip and got a taste for what the pelagic tours will be like in Canada next year.
Madeira is known for its beautiful landscape, hiking trails and levadas. The levadas are a system of channels that were originally designed to transport water from the top of the mountains to the lower farmlands. Speaking of mountains, there are over 20 different microclimates on the island which means the weather can change from one minute to the next. Often the days would start off cool and cloudy and end being warm and sunny.
One day we did a hike out to Ponta De Sal Laurenco, the most eastern tip of the island. There were many elevation changes, narrow trails and it was quite cold and very windy in spots (and a little scary too!). The hike is 7 km in total with a promise of a bathroom and a café at the halfway point, however, when we reached the tip we were told that the bathroom was out of service due to the fact that they had no water. I was not too pleased about that! At the end of that day, my fitness app reported over 100 flights of stairs climbed! Here are some of the gorgeous views from that hike:
Our hotel was lovely, overlooking the ocean. Each night we would open our balcony door a little so that we could listen to the waves crashing on the shore. It was very peaceful until around 4 a.m. when the Eurasian Blackbirds would come to life and wake us up (not to mention the barking frogs outside our front door which went all night long!). Other wildlife close to our hotel included many little Madeiran wall lizards and lightfoot crabs.
Other interesting things to do on Madeira Island: Visit the fishing village of Camara De Lobos, see the colourful market in Funchal, enjoy a fish dinner at one of the many restaurants in Madeira, stroll along the boardwalk (which includes walking through a tunnel!) and enjoy the sunsets. Definitely a place worth visiting!
Happy New Year
January 11, 2024
I hope that 2024 brings all of you good health, happiness and many great birds!
Jim and I have been travelling a bit in Ontario since January 1 and I already have a year list of 63 species which I am happy with. After slacking off a bit last year, I wanted to start getting out more this year to hone my skills in preparation for our Big Canada Year in 2025. We started the year in Point Pelee where we ran into one of my favourite birding friends (yes, that’s you Jeremy!) and together we found the Townsend’s Solitaire that has been hanging around in the park. From there, we all went to Erieau and found a Harlequin Duck and then we topped off the day with a Black-billed Magpie in London. A good start to the year!
Jim and I have been travelling a bit in Ontario since January 1 and I already have a year list of 63 species which I am happy with. After slacking off a bit last year, I wanted to start getting out more this year to hone my skills in preparation for our Big Canada Year in 2025. We started the year in Point Pelee where we ran into one of my favourite birding friends (yes, that’s you Jeremy!) and together we found the Townsend’s Solitaire that has been hanging around in the park. From there, we all went to Erieau and found a Harlequin Duck and then we topped off the day with a Black-billed Magpie in London. A good start to the year!
Since then we have been to Algonquin Park where I saw and heard many Red Crossbills which was a nice treat as they have always been a tough bird for me to get. On our way home from Algonquin, we saw a Barred Owl on a wire along the highway, we added a Barrow’s Goldeneye to our list, a Dickcissel, a King Eider and four more Harlequin Ducks.
I haven’t set any specific goals for 2024 other than to get out more and work on some identification skills (both sight and sound). I also have to start learning the rest of the Canadian birds that don’t reside in Ontario.
We have started planning in earnest for our Big Year. I have created a spreadsheet listing all of the Canada Birds and am now trying to develop a plan that will take us to all of the Canadian provinces and territories in 2025 and will allow us to find as many species of birds as possible. Not an easy task! Jim has created a binder with tabs for all of the provinces with a map of each province at the beginning of each section.
We have a Canada map where we are highlighting the birding hotspots as well as some of the other attractions that we want to visit along the way. We are hoping that this will help us to form our strategy. It is still undecided how much we will be travelling by air versus vehicle. Anything is up for discussion at this point!
We have started planning in earnest for our Big Year. I have created a spreadsheet listing all of the Canada Birds and am now trying to develop a plan that will take us to all of the Canadian provinces and territories in 2025 and will allow us to find as many species of birds as possible. Not an easy task! Jim has created a binder with tabs for all of the provinces with a map of each province at the beginning of each section.
We have a Canada map where we are highlighting the birding hotspots as well as some of the other attractions that we want to visit along the way. We are hoping that this will help us to form our strategy. It is still undecided how much we will be travelling by air versus vehicle. Anything is up for discussion at this point!
Stay tuned for more stories about how we planning our big year and also watch for the new logo for Canada’s most enthusiastic Birding Tourists! If you would like to be notified of future blog posts, please sign up for email notices on my Contact Page or Click Here.
2023 - Catching Up
October 19, 2023
Hi Everyone,
This is my first blog post since December 31, 2022 when I completed my Ontario Big Birding Year. In 2022 I travelled all over Ontario with a goal of seeing and photographing 300 birds. In the end, I recorded 335 birds with 332 of them having photographs (although not necessarily good photographs!).
During the first six months of 2023, I did very little birding in Ontario. I spent a lot of time catching up on things I had neglected during 2022 and also we hosted our first grandchild’s first birthday party in July so we used this as an excuse to freshen up a lot of things around the house.
We did go to Costa Rica in February and Texas in April where I was able to add a lot of birds to my life list. See my website for photos.
On October 6, I did my first of 3 presentations about my Big Year which was a lot of fun. I was happy to have my blog and photos to assist me in putting the talk together and helping me remember a lot of the experiences; the challenges and rewards, that were a part of 2022.
One of the questions I always get asked by people is if I would do another Big Year. The answer is Yes but not in Ontario. My husband Jim and I are going to do a Canada Big Year in 2025 which for us means travelling to every province and every territory to see as much of Canada as possible, experience some of the things that Canada has to offer and, of course, see as many birds as we can.
If you would like to follow the adventures of Canada’s most enthusiastic Birding Tourists, please sign up for email notices on my Contact page.
This is my first blog post since December 31, 2022 when I completed my Ontario Big Birding Year. In 2022 I travelled all over Ontario with a goal of seeing and photographing 300 birds. In the end, I recorded 335 birds with 332 of them having photographs (although not necessarily good photographs!).
During the first six months of 2023, I did very little birding in Ontario. I spent a lot of time catching up on things I had neglected during 2022 and also we hosted our first grandchild’s first birthday party in July so we used this as an excuse to freshen up a lot of things around the house.
We did go to Costa Rica in February and Texas in April where I was able to add a lot of birds to my life list. See my website for photos.
On October 6, I did my first of 3 presentations about my Big Year which was a lot of fun. I was happy to have my blog and photos to assist me in putting the talk together and helping me remember a lot of the experiences; the challenges and rewards, that were a part of 2022.
One of the questions I always get asked by people is if I would do another Big Year. The answer is Yes but not in Ontario. My husband Jim and I are going to do a Canada Big Year in 2025 which for us means travelling to every province and every territory to see as much of Canada as possible, experience some of the things that Canada has to offer and, of course, see as many birds as we can.
If you would like to follow the adventures of Canada’s most enthusiastic Birding Tourists, please sign up for email notices on my Contact page.