………THE FAR SIDE OF…… TORONTO???
Shiver me timbers, I’m standing in Thickson’s Woods !!
Returning from Point Pelee, it’s on the other side of Toronto in Whitby, Ontario. Now most Torontonians will tell you that they are the world, and perhaps that staggering presumption can be forgiven by the fact that 60% of its population was born outside of Canada. So yeah, in a certain sense they are right. Today the world has been kind to us as we breeze through its traffic on the 401 with nary a delay to arrive at our destination here in Thickson’s on the north shore of Lake Ontario.
Back in the day of wooden ships and iron men, the straight, lofty white pine of Thickson’s Woods made it one of the Royal Navy’s principal sources of masts, and spars. Long before they became spattered in blood and gore upon the high seas, those timbers once felt the delicate, bejeweled touch of nature’s necklace, the annual warbler migration.
Standing here in this historic spot, I can’t stop thinking about the recent movie, Master and Commander.……the Far Side of the World. Plot wise it was nothing to Russell Crowe about, but I must confess that as a former naval combat systems engineer I did enjoy the battle scenes. I particularly loved the names of the 18 pounder gun mounts, “Sudden Death”, “Grim Reaper”, and “Black Beauty”. Ah, the personalization of instruments of death and destruction…..you just gotta love it!!
HOODED WARBLER
In the past, we’ve had good luck in Thickson’s, spotting the Hooded warbler and the Cape May (see below). But this year, the pickings are slim.
CAPE MAY WARBLER
TENNESSEE WARBLER
Nevertheless, the stop has been more than worthwhile with my best encounter with a very cooperative Tennessee warbler.
TENNESSEE WARBLER
Avast me hearties!! Better luck next year!!!