Alt text: A white Waxing Crescent moon, in the black night sky.
Waxing Crescent Moon (18.4%)
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/13
560 mm
1/250 sec
ISO 5000
Sources:
Veerabahu et al., 2025: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40675152/
Leah Borts-Kuperman (@leahbortskuperman.bsky.social): thenarwhal.ca/golden-oyste...
Alt text: A front profile of the trunk of an oak tree, covered in clusters of golden oyster mushrooms (GOM; Pleurotus citrinopileatus). Photo taken in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Golden Oyster Mushroom
Imported into North America in the early 2000s, the golden oyster mushroom (GOM) is sold in popular mushroom-growing kits. It is now considered to be one of the most invasive mushrooms in North America, found in 1 province and 25 states (Veerabahu et al., 2025).
Alt text: A side profile of a Midland Painted Turtle, basking in the sun. The turtle's head is extended at a 45 degree angle. Its neck has red and green stripes, and its bottom shell has a matching red pattern. The turtle's foreclaws are long and sharp.
Midland Painted Turtle
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/13
560 mm
1/800 sec
ISO 800
Painted Turtles can live for over 50 years in the wild, and based on fossil records, they have existed for approximately 15 million years.
Alt text: A front profile of a Bloodroot flower. It has 8 long, white petals, surrounding a golden-yellow centre.
Bloodroot
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/9
560 mm
1/2500 sec
ISO 1000
Reflections on Oak
Oji-Cree alternative singer and songwriter Aysanabee joins us on the show again to talk about all his new success.
Including his two Juno award wins at this year’s award ceremony that was held in Hamilton, Ontario.
Alt text: A macro photography of Zayton Black tea leaves. The leaves are mostly dark and twisted, with a few light brown.
Zayton Black from @white2tea.bsky.social
In a 2025 study, researchers at Northwestern University demonstrated that brewing tea naturally adsorbs heavy metal such as lead and cadmium, essentially filtering out harmful contaminants.
Source (full-text PDF): www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Alt text: A side profile of an adult Tree Swallow, standing on the trunk of a dead tree with its wings angled downwards while its tail feathers are raised upwards at about 45 degrees. The bird has a white belly, black wings, with dark iridescent blue feathers from its head to tail.
Tree Swallow
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/9
560 mm
1/2500 sec
ISO 1000
Using an exceptional combination of speed and agility, adult Tree Swallows consume approximately 2,0000 insects in a single day.
Going to be so funny watching people try and act like this never happened one day
Alt text: A side profile of a Northern Leopard Frog, partially submerged in a pond. The frog is in the beginning stage of calling, in which air is drawn in before being pushed out into the frog's vocal sac. This Northern Leopard Frog in particular is light brown with dark brown spots, and large yellow eyes.
Alt text: A side profile of a Northern Leopard Frog, partially submerged in a pond. The frog is in stage of calling in which its vocal sac is filled with air and fully expanded. This Northern Leopard Frog in particular is light brown with dark brown spots, and large yellow eyes.
Northern Leopard Frog
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/9
560 mm
1/500 sec
ISO 500
With a body length of 11 cm (4.3 in), Northern Leopard Frogs can jump over 90 cm (35 in).
If we had a decent public transit system in this state, and our communities weren't so such a sprawling mess, gas prices wouldn't have such a painful effect on people.
Alt text: A side profile of a Common Grackle, vertically perched on a branch with what appears to be bright red Sumac berries growing from it. The Grackle has pale yellow eyes, an iridescent purple head, electric blue neck, and shiny black plumage with bronze on the edges. The background of the photo is comprised of a blue sky.
Common Grackle
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/13
560 mm
1/1250 sec
ISO 2000
Grackles commonly roost and forage in large communal flocks, often comprised of different bird species including Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and European Starlings.
Alt text: A male Northern Cardinal, perched on a branch and in the middle of calling. The cardinal has vibrant red plumage, with a distinctive black mask and thick orange-red bill.
Northern Cardinal (II)
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/9
560 mm
1/1600 sec
ISO 2000
Cardinals are named after cardinals of the Catholic Church, due to the resemblance between the birds' vibrant red plumage and the red robes worn by Catholic cardinals.
Alt text: Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles and Windsor-West MPP Lisa Gretzky smiling as they speak to an audience of Windsor community members. In the background is a large, orange, vertical banner with white text that reads "Windsor West NDP Riding Association", and a white Unifor sign.
Alt text: A front profile image of an event attendee holding a white sign with black text that reads "END CLASSROOM VIOLENCE". The white sign is spattered with red paint, and the attendee's mouth is covered in grey duct tape. In Ontario, the level of violence reported to the Ministry of Education by school boards has increased 77% since Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives took office.
Alt text: An event attendee looks on pensively through gold-rimmed glasses while holding a blue sign with text that reads "SAVE OSAP" and "Fund Education Now!"
Alt text: Two seated event attendees laughing hard during a candid moment, while holding blue signs that both read "SAVE OSAP" and "Fund Education Now!"
Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles and Windsor-West MPP Lisa Gretzky meet with locals at Unifor Local 444 in Windsor, Ontario (April 8, 2026)
Stiles and Gretzky called on Premier Doug Ford to reverse his cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), and remove interest from student loans
Alt text: A Black-capped Chickadee, vertically perched on a branch. The chickadee has a round, black head, white cheeks, and grey/black wings.
Black-capped Chickadee
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/10
560 mm
1/2000 sec
ISO 1250
Black-capped Chickadees hide food such as seeds, and they can remember thousands of different hiding spots.
The claim to possess “objective” or “neutral” knowledge has long been employed by dominant groups to attack every progressive movement in academia. Far from being “objective,” the anti-EDI campaign is thoroughly political in its motivation, design, and dissemination, writes @laurieadkin.bsky.social.
It is deeply troubling that Canadian public pensions are being invested in companies linked to ICE operations and migrant detention. Canadians expect their savings to be managed with human dignity—not profiting from repression.
I’m calling for an independent investigation. Accountability now. ⬇️
Thank you!
Two protestors wearing black sunglasses, one of which is holding a sign that reads "Fund our Future! HANDS OFF OSAP". The same protestor is wearing a sweater with the text "ARTS & CULTURE" written on it. In the background, an ETFO (Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario) flag can been waving in the wind.
A protestor looking directly at the camera and holding a sign that reads "BEER AND CIRCUSES FOR THE PEOPLE", with one image of a smiling glass mug full of beer, and another picture of Ontario Premier Doug Ford dressed up as a clown. The protestor is wearing a green hoodie with the text "MANITOULIN ISLAND" embroidered in white.
A protestor holds a large sign that says "POWER TO THE PEOPLE", as she is handed a megaphone by another protestor.
A protestor with a pair of walking canes joins the protest, and is assisted across the crosswalk by two other protestors. The background is comprised of several other people, many of which are holding signs. One sign shows the text "DUMP DOUG", another's sign reads "NO HEALTHCARE, BUT HEY, BOOZE!"
"Fire Ford" Protest At Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie's Office (Ontario, Canada)
Alt-text: A large turkey vulture, flying across a pale blue sky with the moon in the background (in Waxing Gibbous phase)
Moon and Vulture
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/11
560 mm
1/2500 sec
ISO 1000
A crowd of protestors with signs and flags, gathered around Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie's office. Protestor signs include the following text: - "IF YOU'RE NOT ANGRY, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION" - "Protect Ontario from Doug Ford: Secrecy! Corruption! Privatization! Scandals! Cuts!" - "DOUG FRAUD" In addition to the signs, a red CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) can be seen rippling in the air from a flagpole held by a protestor.
A protestor holding a sign that says "shameful CRONY government", with an image of Ontario Premier Doug Ford's round face replacing the "O" in "CRONY" The protestor is wearing a light brown, corduroy, newsboy cap, with a Tartan scarf and aviator-style sunglasses.
A protestor sitting in a chair, holding a sign with text that reads: - "VOTE MAY 26 & 27" - "Stop Privatizing our Public Hospitals" - "Ontario Health Coalition" - "www.Public.HospitalVote.ca" The protestor is wearing a green knit headband, grey corduroy pants, and Chuck Taylor sneakers with three cherries embroidered on each shoe. Additionally, the protestor is holding a pair of walking canes. The background is comprised of several other protestors.
Three protestors, standing in front of Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie's office, each holding a sign. The three signs' text reads as follows: - "DOUG FORD IS A NEPO $ BABY $ DROP OUT" - "Education Should Be a Pathway, NOT a Bill" - "CUT FORD, NOT OSAP" - "#dougfordresign" - "#firefordfebruary" The protestor on the left is smiling, holding a maroon red, insulated, stainless steel travel mug, and wearing black pants with a red and pink design. The protestor in the centre is holding a sign, and wearing dark jeans, light brown Timberlands, and a black baseball cap with a skull pattern. The protestor's right hand is extended with a "sign of the horns" hand gesture. The protestors on the right is holding a sign, smiling, carrying an orange penny cruiser board, and is wearing of black pants with grey runners.
"Fire Ford" Protest At Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie's Office (Ontario, Canada)
𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙩
Alt-text: A side profile of a Ring-Billed Gull, staring directly at the camera with a single eye. The bird's eye is pale yellow, with a vibrant red ring around it, and its bill is yellow with a black ring towards the tip.
Ring-Billed Gull
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
f/9
560 mm
1/2600 sec
ISO 500
The oldest Ring-Billed Gull on record was found in 2021, still alive at 28 years old in Cleveland, Ohio. The average lifespan of a Ring-Billed Gull that reaches adulthood is 10.9 years.
Correction:
EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III
Canada has long shared a unique relationship with Cuba. It’s time for Carney to match his rhetoric about middle powers standing up against great power bullying with concrete action. Cuba’s experience offers lessons—and warnings—for us all.
Alt-text: A side profile of a Starling (bird), perched on a tree branch. This Starling is a breeding adult, as indicated by its yellow bill, with dark purple, green, and brown plumage.
Starling (II)
Canon R5 Mark I
EF 100 mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro
f/9
560 mm
1/2000 sec
ISO 3200
Flocks of Starlings can be found in excess of 100,000 birds at a time
If you're from Detroit, your mother, grandmothers, and aunties knew Martha Jean "the Queen" Steinberg! She was my godmother's fave...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRw-...
