Juvenile Cooper's Hawk, one afternoon just outside the Grenadier Restaurant - High Park, Toronto. The image displays a Cooper's Hawk, perched on a bare tree branch. The bird has distinctive brown and white plumage with barring on its chest and belly, and dark markings on its back and wings. Its talons are prominent and yellow, gripping the branch. The hawk's head is turned slightly, revealing a keen yellow eye and a hooked beak. The background is blurred, suggesting a natural outdoor setting. From my 2021 Archive.

There are a lot of Urban Wildlife photographers in and around Toronto and Mississauga. This is one of mine. 🤠🤙📿
#WildTO #Wildlife

Pic showing downed tree that closed off a northbound bridge on the Etobicoke Creek Trail. There's much more extensive damage to a lot of trails left over from last season's rain and flooding. Oh and yeah thats a me in my bike gear.

#BikeTO #BikeSauga #WalkTO ... How about some reports on trail conditions throughout the GTA?

Do we have new or old washed out trails that still have damage from last summer?

What about repairs? Anything been fixed?

Pictures would be great!

#WildTO #Trails #Cycling #BikeSky #HikeTO

"Squirrel" means "shadow tail," from the Greek skia "shadow" + oura "tail." There is no firm record of why -- though we can easily venture some guesses based on the animal's huge fluffy tail. And, though they may appear smaller—black is slimming, don't you know—they are exactly the same size as their gray counterparts. Black squirrels are dark from stem to stern. They lack the white belly fur found on gray squirrels with normal pigmentation, a fact you'd think might cause them some trouble.

In many cultures, black shadowtails are considered to be a symbol of good luck. 🐿️

Cedarvale Ravine - Toronto, Ontario.

#Squirrels 🐿️ #Wildlife 🫎 #Nature 🌿 #WildTO 🍁 #Photography 📷 #Archives 🖼️ #Photog4Hire 🤠🤙📿

Squirrels are generally small rodents with slender bodies, bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is short, soft and silky, and ranges in thickness from species to species. The color of their fur is also highly variable and can be whitish, gray, yellow, red, brown, or even black.

Good Morning Blue Sky!

As you can plainly see, I'm not a bird, I'm a squirrel - better known as a shadow tail. "Squirrel" means "shadow tail," from the Greek skia "shadow" + oura "tail."

#WildTO #Wildlife #Nature #Squirrels #ShadowTails #TreeBeings

The domestic pigeon is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove or rock pigeon. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Rock Pigeons are tubby birds with small heads and short legs. Their wings are broad but pointed wings and the tail is wide and rounded.

Good Morning BirdSky! 🪶🦉🌿

Rock Doves in a tree, keeping a eye down below. Every now and again they'll fly out with their flock fleet, perform a couple of loops and return when it's deemed safe again. |
High Park, Toronto. Ontario.

#Birds #Wildlife #Nature #Pigeons #WildTO

The grey squirrel has a silver-grey coat, with a brownish face and feet, and pale underside. It has a characteristically bushy tail. It is distinguished from the red squirrel by its larger size, grey fur, and smaller ears without tufts. However, grey squirrels can vary in colour, with some appearing slightly ginger. Spiritually, squirrels are symbols of resourcefulness, adaptability, playfulness, and organization. Dreaming of a squirrel may be a sign to take on more responsibilities or adopt a positive thinking mindset. If you see a squirrel in person, stay positive and don't give up on your dreams.

Good Evening BlueSky! 🐿️

Golden morning light along the forest floor and this Eastern Grey Shadow-tail comes to check if you have any nuts. Winter's comin'.

Credit River Trail - Riverwood Conservancy. Mississauga, Ontario.

#Wildlife #ShadowTails #WildTO #Squirrels

Merlins are small falcons with a powerful build that is broader and stockier than the slightly smaller American Kestrel. Merlins have sharply pointed wings, a broad chest, and a medium length tail.

BirdSky! 🪶🌿🍂

Oh look up, it's a merlin in a tree, turned his head around to look at me! 🍂 Hawk Hill, High Park - Toronto. (archives)

ps. This tree is no longer there, a storm struck, there's just a large jagged stump now.

#Birds #Merlins #Falcons #Wildlife #WildTO

They are migratory, but not all birds migrate. They are present in most of their range throughout the year, although some blue jays do migrate south for winter. Blue jays eat insects, nuts, seeds and grains.

A very social and intelligent bird of the corvid family, studies indicate that the Blue Jay can recognize and remember human faces, much like ravens and crows. They can also recognize one another – the black brindling on their face and throat vary, so it may be that there are no two alike.

Hello BirdSky! 🪶🌿🍂

Here's a Blue Jay in High Park - Toronto that was passing through on his way south. (archives).

#Birds #Wildlife #Nature #Field&Stream #WildTO

The most notable physical feature of the eastern grey squirrel is its large bushy tail. Indeed, the Latin word for squirrel, sciurus, is derived from two Greek words, skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail. Combining the two means loosely that the squirrel is one that sits in the shadow of its own tail. Many of the common names given to the eastern grey squirrel, such as Bannertail and Silvertail, call attention to this prominent feature.

Hello BlueSky, I am a friar of the Eastern Grey Squirrel Clan, I'm here to collect tithes for our dear leaders at the great tree. 🐿️

Please give us a nut, thank you kindly. 🌰

#WildTO #Wildlife #Squirrels #Nature

Sandpipers have moderately long bills and legs, long, narrow wings, and fairly short tails. Their colouring often consists of a complicated “dead-grass” pattern of browns, buffs, and blacks on the upperparts, with white or cream colouring below. They are frequently paler in autumn than in spring.

Good Morning BirdSky! 🪶🌿🍂

A quick fleeting glimpse of a Spotted sandpiper out on the lower storm water pond. High Park, Toronto. (archives)

#Birds #Wildlife #Nature #Field&Strream #DoomScrolling #WildTO

There is a fish eating bird in this image, way out there on the other side of the upper storm water pond in High Park. Toronto.

O hai, BirdSky!🪶🌿🍂

There is a fish eating bird way out there on the other side of the storm water pond, can you see him? 🐦

#Birds #Wildlife #HighPark #WildTO #Nature #DoomScrolling

Coopers hawk from my archives. Size: About the size of a crow, with a wingspan of 60–90 centimeters. Females are slightly larger than males. Coloration: Adults have a gray-blue back, white underside, black cap, and three black bands on the tail. Juveniles are brown above with brown streaks on their underparts.

Good Night BirdSky! 🪶🌿🍂
Coopers Hawk at my staging area inside High Park. Toronto.
This individual hit the ground and vanished rather quickly, probably found something to eat. 🤠🪶

#Birds #HighPark #WildTO #Nature #Accipiters

Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing. Mallards are “dabbling ducks”—they feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive.

Good Evening BlueSky! 🪶🍂🌿

Miss Duck swimming on the Little Etobicoke Creek. Mississauga, Ontario. 🦆

#Birds #Wildlife #WildTO #HikeSauga #DoomScrolling #WaterFowl

Green leafy background blurr, foreground slender tree with a butter butt , yellow rumpped warbler taking a stroll along a branch.

🪶🌿🍂 Buttloads of Butter BlueSky!

Butter Butt! (Yellow rumpped warbler).

#Birds #Stickhappens #Wildlife #WildTO #DoomScrolling

Eastern Chipmunk, Toronto Ontario.

Way past midnight snack BlueSky! 🐿️

Chipmunkie! 🍂🤠🤙📿

#WildTO #Wildlife #Chipmunks #Nature #Photography

Common Mergansers are streamlined ducks that float gracefully down small rivers or shallow shorelines. The males are striking with clean white bodies, dark green heads, and a slender, serrated red bill. The elegant gray-bodied females have rich, cinnamon heads with a short crest.

Good Evening BlueSky! 🪶🌿

An evening merganser paddling by along the Lake Ontario shoreline. Colonel Samuel Smith Park. Etobicoke, Ontario.
🍂🌿

#Birds #Wildlife #Ducks #Mergansers #WildTO

The chickadee's black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn.

Good Afternoon BlueSky! 🪶🌿🍂

Chickadee dee dee dee, in the wood. Foraging for seeds and I imagine bugs as well. Little Etobicoke Creek Trail, Mississauga, Ontario. 🐦

#Birds #Wildlife #Nature #Fall2024 #WildTO

DeKay's brownsnakes are small and have keeled scales. Their coloring is light brown to dark reddish-brown, sometimes gray, with pale brown, pale yellow, or light pink belly. A double row of small black spots usually runs the length of the back, sometimes connected by fine lines.

Hello BlueSky! 🐍

De Kay's brown snake in Cedarvale Ravine.
(Archives).

#WildTO #Wildlife #Snakes #Nature

A brown eastern chipmunk stands looking out over the meadow beside the Humber River Trail in Toronto.

Hello BlueSky! 🪶🍂🌿🐿️

Chipmunk on a meadow-field along the Humber River - Toronto, Ontario. CANADA 🍁

#Chipmunk #Wildlife #Animals #WildTO #CuteCritters #Cute #DoomScrolling #Nature #CanGeo

Despite their large size, they weigh only five to six pounds. Great blue herons have specialized powder down feathers on their chest which continually grow and fray. They comb these feathers with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the power to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers.

Good Evening BlueSky! 🪶🌿🍂

On the Credit River, I happened to capture a great blue heron working the shoreline for it's next meal. Bushes were in the way so I made the best of it shooting through them. I rather like the effect. 🤠📷

#Birds #Herons #Wildlife #WildTO #Riverwood #Nature #Photography

Females are crisply streaked and dark brownish overall, paler on the breast and often show a whitish eyebrow. Red-wing blackbirds symbolize protection, good luck, and even prosperity.

Good Night BlueSky! 🪶🌿🍂

Leaving you tonight with this little pretty red winged black bird lady from Tommy Thompson Park. 🖤

#Birds #RWBB #Parks #Wildlife #WildTO #BikeHike #DoomScrolling #OriginalContent

Black crowned night heron, head on looking directly at the camera from not too far away on a branch over the trail.

Hello BlueSky! 🪶🌿🍂

Here's a black crowned nigh heron staring into your very soul. Good thing you're not a fish. You aren't a fish right? This guy was on a branch just above the trail in High Park beside the Grenadier Pond.

#Birds #Herons #Wildlife #WildTO #Nature #DoomScrolling

With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs.

Good Afternoon BlueSky 🪶🌿

Here's a great horned owl at an undisclosed location within High Park, Toronto. He's watching a small flock of kingbirds a few trees over basking in the evening's sunlight. 🍂🦉

#Birds #Raptors #Wildlife #WildTO #DoomScrolling #Outdoors #OriginalContent

Flesh fly on a seed head of a grass stalk. (we think it's wheat but not sure) image has a golden bokeh (lens blur in background) and good evening golden hour sunlight on the subject. I wouldn't chew grass stalks anymore these days, mostly because I know about pesticides. *shudders* !

Flesh fly , close up "almost macro" ... on a seed head.

Hello BlueSky! 🪰

Flesh fly on a seed head of a grass stalk, of what I think is wheat? No sure but we used to chew on the stems while walking trails back in the day. It was a country folk thing to do. 🌿🍂

#Flies #Wildlife #Macro #Photography #WildTO #BikeTO #BikeHike #bugs #Invertebrates

Immatures are brown with large white spots on the wings and blurry streaks on the underparts. The pond it's standing in is covered with a sheen of green blue algae, the color is not to me a pleasing one.

Good Evening BlueSky! 🪶

A black crowned night heron juvenile working the Grenadier Pond in High Park. His orange eye is pretty striking. 🪶
🧠🤠📷🤙📿

#Herons #Birds #HighPark #Toronto #Wildlife #WildTO #OriginalContent

#Birds #Wildlife #Outdoors #Predator #Accipiters #DoomScrolling #EveryBirdy #Celebirdy #WildTO

Blue jay in a tree in Colonel Samuel Smith Park.

Consensus seems to be, that BlueSky, really likes Blue Jays.

So I'm going to have to make more blue jay images over the next while as I encounter them in the field. 🪶💙

Blue Jay <archives>

#Birds #Wildlife #Corvids #DoomScrolling #Nature #WildTO

Adult great blue heron standing on rocks at the edge of the Credit River as seen through leaves that frame this individual in the late afternoon sunlight. The top of the adult's head is white with a black stripe on each side extending from the yellow eyes to slender black plumes at the back of the head. Its back is greyish blue, and its breast is white streaked with black. Breeding herons have long plumes on their breasts, flanks, and backs.

Hello BlueSky! 🪶

Mature Great Blue Heron on the Credit River, at the Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga, Ontario. 🪶

🧠🍁🤠📷🤙📿

#Birds #Wildlife #WildTO #DoomScrolling #Outdoors #Nature #Photography

Silhouette of a squirrel poking it's head out from behind a tree in High Park - Toronto.

BlueSky! 🐿️

Deep inside High Park - Toronto, the darkling squirrels are watching you, with great interest. 🐿️

See comment for Shadowtail exposure. 🍁🤠📷🤙📿

#ShadowTails #Squirrels #Wildlife #WildTO #DoomScrolling #Photography