Diving the "Mr Bud", a 75' cargo ship sunk in 1995.

Jayne peering through an opening in the Prince Albert's Hull.  The tanker's last cargo was a group of Nicaraguan refugees escaping their war ravaged country. After arriving in Roatan, the ship was abandoned and eventually sunk.

Bearded Fireworm on a Sea Fan

a large die-off of fish has occurred in the Old Ausable Channel.   

Master of DisguiseSpotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) Hiding on a Coral Reef Waiting to Ambush its Prey - Bonaire

A Longlure Frogfish lies motionless in a colony of sponges. A modified dorsal ray is used as a fishing lure to attract its prey.

Winter in southern Ontario has been snowy in more ways than one. An irruption of snowy owls into southern Canada has resulted in an unusually high number of sightings of this spectacular bird from the tundra. This immature bird was scouting for prey on a Lake Huron beach after a late November snowfall.

Common Loon (Gavia immer) Feeding a Fish to its BabyCommon Loon (Gavia immer) feeding a perch to its baby - Haliburton, Ontario

This loon chick eagerly awaits its freshly caught breakfast.

At 8 days of age, this chick's days of hitching a ride on Mom's back are almost up. 

Common Loon Catching a Sunfish

This pumpkinseed's day is about to go from bad to worse.

A male blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) perched on a stalk of Viper's Bugloss. Dragonflies are considerable larger and much stockier than damselflies.

Skimming Bluet Damselflies (Enellagma geminatum) Mating on a Lily Pad. Male is on the left.

Familiar Bluets mating. The red circular objects are parasitic mites attached to the abdomens of both damselflies.

....Or in this case, a fly in bee's clothing. Mimicry is a common theme in nature, where appearing to be something you aren't can pay big dividends. For this hover fly (also known as a flower fly or syrphid fly), bearing an uncanny resemblance to a bee gives it instant respect and protection from would-be predators.  And not only does the fly look the part, it also plays the part by feeding on nectar and pollen. Closer examination reveals its true identity... Unlike bees and other insects, flies have two wings rather than four. Other clues include short antennae, sucking mouth parts, and a huge pair of eyes that make up most of its head.

Hover Fly Pollinatiing an Alternate-leaved DogwoodHover Fly that mimics a wasp pollinates an Alternate-leaved Dogwood - Ontario, Canada This species of hover fly mimics a wasp. To the untrained eye, it's a brilliant and highly convincing disguise. 

The red-headed woodpecker has long been one of my favourite birds. We were fortunate to have this one spend much of the day in our backyard, making frequent trips to the suet feeder.  With its red head, black back and large white wing patches, it would be difficult to mistake this bird for any other species. 

Recently listed as threatened by both COSEWIC (Committee On the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) and SARA (Species At Risk Act), the red-headed woodpecker's numbers have plummeted in Ontario and southern Manitoba since the 1970's. With its population decreasing in the United States as well, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists this species as "Near Threatened." One of the primary reasons for its decline is likely a loss of habitat. Red-headed woodpeckers require dead standing trees in which to excavate their nesting cavities. There is some hope that dead ash trees left in the wake of the Emerald Ash Borer might lead to an increase in the population of this attractive bird. Perhaps every cloud does have its silver lining.

Pileated Woodpecker on an Oak Tree

Red-bellied Woodpecker

The vivid yellow blooms of witch hazel provide a colourful backdrop for this black-capped chickadee. Witch hazel is one of our more unusual shrubs, flowering in mid October after its leaves have fallen. This reproductive strategy, fine-tuned over countless millenia, ensures its genes will be passed on to the next generation by attracting pollinating insects with a last ditch source of nectar before winter sets in.