Aaron

The Great Horned Owl is a fearsome predator, not only does it take down prey larger than itself, it is also known to take down other predators like hawks and falcons. Spotting this fearsome predator was hard but catching it in its vulnerable, loveable, protective parent mode was oh so worth it! Wouldn’t want to mess with this mom though.

The English word raccoon comes from the Powhatan word ‘aroughcun’, which means "animal that scratches with its hands." Their dexterous hands are 5-fingered and very similar to humans. Their cute masked face and their thieving hands have them typecast as bandits but these intelligent creatures are just opportunists like the best of us. It was impossible to resist this one’s cuteness and so here she is.

While looking for a lost lens hood in the grass, I came across this sight, a meadow vole lying dead on a bed of dried grass. Though there was death in every bit of this frame it struck me as being very surreal as the meadow vole was looking so peaceful. These tiny omnivores live very short intense lives and nearly every thing from bobcats to weasels to humans are their mortal enemies. This one seemed to find some peace in death. At least to me.

Daydreaming by a trail has advantages. I was visited by this beautiful robin who was curious to know why I had stopped by in his neighbourhood. Robins are fascinating little song birds, not only can they hunt their insect meals by sight but they are apparently able to hunt by sound too. They have been known to listen for worms moving under the ground before digging them up for dinner. Despite being such brilliant vocalists they clearly demonstrate the art of listening.

Watching a coyote hunt is always entertaining. Squirrels, rabbits and even pet dogs are all fair game for this opportunistic hunter. Often regarded as pests, these animals have evolved to thrive beside human populations and deserve more respect.

Snow leopards have shorter front legs than back legs, enabling them to make spectacular 45 ft leaps while chasing prey up and down jaw-dropping vertical mountainsides. But the front legs are spectacularly powerful too. They come handy while grabbing prey or for friendly swipes like this one.

With fur on their bellies, nearly 5 inches thick, this young snow leopard is totally at home in the -30 temperatures in Toronto. The number of snow leopards in the wild has dropped to just about 4000 individuals making them depend on special species revival programs in captivity.

The grizzly bears scientific name “Ursus arctos horribilis” literally translates into “horrible northern bear” even then name “grizzly” resembles “grisly” which means horrifying.
However these bears are majestic creatures if given due respect. They have existed and evolved to perfection for millions of years and they don’t need us to label and judge them. This handsome guy is probably snoring away through winter right now, totally oblivious to all the attention he is getting. He should wake up to better 2019 for all wildlife.

What better way to celebrate Christmas than be out in the woods looking for wildlife?.
Too bad despite brilliant lens and powerful binoculars, I always get spotted first. Nature had spectacular senses and my respect for nature just grows. The camouflage of these white-tailed deer too is something admirable. Evolution has given them a near perfect advantage in this environment.

Winter solstice, is a magical time, it celebrates the longest hours of darkness and the rebirth of the sun and holds mystical powerful energies for renewal and rebirth. It’s almost ironic that just when I gave up any hope of seeing any wildlife, at the last instance of daylight, a hint of movement on a parallel cliff, 300 feet above the lake, rekindled my dying spirit and I saw a fleeting image of this gorgeous deer.
Unfortunately, a favourite of hunters, the shy white-tailed deer is sensitive to seasons. With winter practically around the corner, the deer’s struggle to survive due to competition and lack of food. They leave their fawns unattended for hours so if you come across fawns in the woods you should not touch them. Just adore them from a distance.

Lions have always mesmerised me, and this magnificent white African lion is no exception.
Found mainly in South Africa, these lions are not albinos, however the genes responsible for them are diff from the genes that cause white tigers.
Due to their rarity, these naturally found lions have been removed from their habitats and are now mostly only found in captivity. They are being slowly reintroduced though and contrary to popular belief the ‘whiteness’ is not a hinderance in the wild and they are as effective predators as their tawny cousins.

After waiting a couple of hours in sub-zero temperatures at sun down, it was exciting to find coyotes living a stones throw from my place. The bad news; is that he stayed out of range of a 750mm lens, and that’s also the good news, as it is clear that they try to avoid humans, yet co-exist.