Shy bear cub
A lone bear cub peers shyly from behind some tall grass in the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve.
Lone bear cub
This yearling black bear cub was browsing on plants all by itself for nearly half an hour, without any sign of its mother or siblings in the vicinity. It occurred to me that this cub may be an orphan, something which unfortunately occurs rather frequently in nature. Mother bears may be killed by cars, trains, and often by poachers.
Big black bear
A large adult bear, which I estimated to weigh at least 350 pounds, surveys the landscape in Chapleau, Ontario. In the fall, bears are constantly on the lookout for food as they attempt to build their fat reserves for the long Canadian winter ahead.
Bald Eagle watching for prey
The always majestic Bald Eagle, as seen here in Chapleau, Ontario.
Bald Eagle takes flight
A mature Bald Eagle shows off its impressive wing span and talons as it takes flight in the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve, Ontario.
Immature Bald Eagle
A young (immature) Bald Eagle in Chapleau, Ontario. Not having yet acquired the distinctive white head and tail of the mature Bald Eagle, immatures are sometimes confused with the mature Golden Eagle.
Northern Goshawk
A young (immature) Northern Goshawk surveys the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve for possible prey. As adults, the eye colour of these raptors changes to a striking fiery red!
Sandhll Cranes
This mated pair of Sandhill Cranes browses in a field north of Blind River, Ontario. These cranes, part of the Eastern Population of their species, winter in the southern United States and return each spring to breed in Ontario.
Muskrat portrait
The muskrat is an aquatic mammal commonly found in North American wetlands, ponds and streams. It provides a valuable food source for many mammals and larger birds of prey. Unlike the larger beaver, the muskrat does not need to build dams and is often quite at home in urban areas.
Muskrat on the move
Muskrats are capable of remaining submerged for over 15 minutes. They burrow into stream banks and create dens known as 'push ups', mounds of dirt and vegetation that can be up to 1 metre high.
Although much smaller than the beaver, at a distance a muskrat could be mistaken for a small beaver. Aside from its large size, however, the beaver is easily distinguished by its flat tail, quite unlike the long, slender tail of the muskrat.
Although its name evokes the image of the very unpopular rat, I do feel that even with its little beady eyes, there is a bit of a 'cuteness factor' in the muskrat. Well, at least in this shot...
Oiumet Canyon
The Ouimet Canyon is a 150-metre-wide gorge, with cliffs that drop down 100 metres into the valley floor. The micro-climate at the bottom of the gorge supports Arctic plants that normally are found only 1,000 km farther north.
Killarney Provincial Park
This view of the La Cloche mountains in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, was taken from the summit of a rocky hiking trail known as "The Crack".
