Discover Southern Ontario Blog
Welcome to the updates on the goings-on in Southern Ontario
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Due to our recent visit to Iceland, England & Ireland in 2017, there may be a delay in seeing your submissions published, but I will be hard at work, now we are back!
Lots of Coyotes
Ten of our readers wrote to tell us about Coyote activity in their part of Ontario ... 
The Mallard Duck
The Mallard is easily recognised and is probably the best-known of all ducks and is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate areas of Canada, and is also widespread throughout North America, Europe and ...
Sparta House Tea Room and Restaurant
My hubby and I have enjoyed many lunches at the Sparta House Tea Room and Restaurant over the years, the setting is lovely, the village of Sparta has a long and interesting history and ...
Sunday Morning Breakfast
I spotted what I believe to be a Sharp Shinned Hawk this morning eating a mouse in our back yard. On Henry Street near West street in Brantford.
King Street and Berkeley Street in downtown Toronto
I came home Shortly after midnight on February 24, 2017. A creature I had never seen before was at my doorstep and I had to look it up to see what
Continue reading "King Street and Berkeley Street in downtown Toronto"
Very large yellow bird with flat head
Walking in Collingwood along a trail, I saw this large (30 tall) bird sitting on the fence. I thought it was a stuffed animal but when I realized it
Red Tailed Hawk with young
Richard Gordon from Walton, wrote to tell us about the Red Tails he has seen outside of Monkton, Ontario.
The Chipmunk
Chipmunks are great animals to watch - they are so charming that many campers and hikers see them in the woods and are enchanted by their small size, their boldness and their apparent busyness.
Our Visit to Iceland - Day 7
Day seven of our trip to Iceland was our last full day on the island and we visited the Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik outside of which there is a statue of Leif Eriksson, the Viking Saga Museum, went to the Blue Lagoon Spa ...
The Beautiful Blue Damselflies
Barbara G wrote to say ... I took these pictures of Damselflies just outside St Thomas, Ontario, as they flitted and flew around our friends' swimming pool.
Osprey sighted near Georgetown, Ontario
Marinus Pater sent us this great picture of an Osprey with a freshly caught fish!
Beautiful Barred Owl
Wayne, one of our readers wrote ... I was out one day in the spring geocaching down some country roads. After having come out of the woods near Port Hope, Ontario, I just happened to look up about 100 yards down the road, and there it sat. It was a beautiful Barred Owl.
Sightings of Big Cats across Southern Ontario
We love hearing from our readers, so if you have seen one of the Big Cats in Southern Ontario, please write to us and let us know all the details. Tell us where and when you sighted the animal, what it was doing when you observed it, what time of day this was, and any other additional information that you think our readers will find interesting.
Continue reading "Sightings of Big Cats across Southern Ontario"
Hiking or Walking holidays in Southern Ontario
There are many walks from which to choose, ranging from short, easy terrain walks that take an hour or so, to longer, more challenging walks for the experienced hikers.
Continue reading "Hiking or Walking holidays in Southern Ontario"
Belted Kingfishers
Joey wrote to say ... I found a pair of mating Belted Kingfishers at a pond near me. They are very smart and I'm having a hard time getting a good picture of them. They see me coming and go to the other side of the pond. 
Our Visit to Iceland - Day 6
We are almost at the end of our week-long visit to the beautiful country of Iceland, and today we went on a Whale Watch, here is my blog of this day in Hauganes and our experiences on the boat, 
Coyote near St Agnes' School
While walking my dog in the back of St Agnes school yard in Stoney Creek, Ontario, I saw a large animal running very quickly down Prins Ave, cross Vitoritio Avenue and continue around Capri Crescent.
Possum in Markham
I have a Potter's kiln in my back yard shed and it is just warm enough that the Possum is very happy to stay inside while I am firing my kiln. Unfortunately it does walk on top of my pots and cracks a few of them.
Which is this bird?
Hi everyone, May 16, 2017 I would like to know the name of this bird I keep seeing every morning. Basically black in colour. Angry looking. So God decided
Evening Grosbeak
What became of them? I used to get all kinds of them (when living at the house a concession over as I am now in a seniors apartment) and they would
Our Visit to Iceland - Day 5
Our fifth day in Iceland - an Icelandic lesson, boiling pools of mud, the town of Akureyri, expensive knitwear, a Troll and ...
The Owls in the Maple tree
My husband sits most mornings with a cup of coffee and the dog by his side in our back yard. The other morning he heard something unfamiliar in our
Osprey on the Maitland
There are 2 young (?) Osprey building a nest near my house. This one was giving me a look as it flew over me. Thank you for sending us your great
Our Visit to Iceland - Day 4
We travelled from the charming town of Höfn today, stopping at Breiðdalsvík for lunch then pressing on to Egilsstaðir where we did a little sight-seeing and stayed in great accommodation at the ...
Wolves near Brechin, Ontario
V Griffiths from England wrote to tell us about their Canadian childhood sighting of Wolves ...
Wild Turkeys
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is common in this area of Southern Ontario. In the past few weeks I have observed groups of these birds in the fields with their young.
The community of Leamington, Ontario
The town of Leamington, located on the north shore of Lake Erie, was first settled in the mid-1800's and now has a population of 28,000 people. Leamington was, for many years, the home of the H J Heinz factory, however, now the tomatoes from this area are made into delicious French's Ketchup.
Southern Ontario Golf
As hubby and I newly retired, Golf is one of the activities that we are looking forward to. Fortunately, we live in an area of the country where there are courses in abundance, as Southern Ontario, and the London and St Thomas area, has many Public and Semi-Private Clubs.
Damselflies
Damselflies are smaller than Dragonflies, and the ones in the pictures were a beautiful Azure blue.
The Monarch Butterfly
The pretty Monarch Butterfly is well known and easily recognized in this part of the country, as they spend the summer here. Sometimes known as the Milkweed Butterfly, this is probably the best known butterfly in North America.
Our Visit to Iceland - Day 3
Wow! Day three had the most amazing scenery - follow our trip and see what we did on day three ...
Two Unusual Types of Birds in One Day
First one: looked like a Sparrow (there were 2 of them), except when I looked closer in binocular, they had chipmunk stripes on their heads and a penny-size
More Wood Duck eggs were laid yesterday
More eggs were laid yesterday, April 28, 2016. Mom has not been seen since. Please keep us updated. Did the mother return? Did the eggs hatch?
Springwater Conservation Area, Orwell, Ontario
If you love camping or hiking, you may enjoy our favourite local place to enjoy the outdoors - Springwater Conservation Area, which is between St Thomas and Aylmer, Ontario ...
Continue reading "Springwater Conservation Area, Orwell, Ontario"
Hanna's Irish Farm Vacation House
This completely renovated 1920's farmhouse is a comfortable home away from home for those looking for accommodation for a family vacation, either close to the Niagara area or for a rural farm holiday.
Lakebreeze Niagara Studio Suites in Port Colborne
Martina from Amherstburg wrote to tell us of her favourite place to stay ...
Continue reading "Lakebreeze Niagara Studio Suites in Port Colborne"
Iceland trip - day 2
I think Iceland is the only place I love as much as southern Ontario! Follow our trip and see what we did on day two ...
Bald Eagle reports from our readers
Bald Eagle sightings from Oil Springs, Sparrow Lake, Mississauga, London, Mount Brydges, Strathroy, Dorchester, Hamilton, Merlin, Hillsburgh, St Thomas, Haliburton ...
Dresden, Ontario - the underground railroad & slavery
When I had only been in Canada for a couple of years, I went to visit Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Dresden with my hubby and young children – what an eye opener it was for me!
Continue reading "Dresden, Ontario - the underground railroad & slavery"
Young Owl at Wheatley Provincial Park
Jamie Stickney sent us this adorable picture of a young Owl ...
Our visit to Iceland
If anyone is interested in reading about our recent trip to Iceland, take a look at what we did on our first day in the country - what an amazingly beautiful place Iceland is ...
The Beavers have taken over!
Rod S from Brampton, Ontario, wrote to tell us about active Beavers in his community ...
Wolf, Coyote or Coy-Wolf - you decide
One of our readers wrote ... My mom just went to take my dog out in London, Ontario, tonight near Woodland Cemetery. She came in screaming that a giant white ...
Cottages in Southern Ontario
Have you found the perfect get away for your summer vacation? If not, check out Sunnybrook Garden-level Guest Suite, Oma's Loft in Delaware, Hanna's Irish Farmhouse Vacation House in Port Maitland and the Cottage at Crystal Beach ...
The Groundhog
When I first arrived here in Ontario from England, a neighbour of mine told me that she had Groundhogs in her vegetable garden. I had never seen one and envisioned a huge, pig-like animal roaming through the neighbourhood gardens, snorting and eating everything in sight! Imagine my delight when I saw my first Groundhog! They are cute herbivores who look a little like a beaver without the flat tail.
Sunday Drives in Southern Ontario
Our family has some favourite Sunday drives, and I bet your family does too - tell us where you like to go when you're out and about, where your favourite restaurants or tea-rooms are, your favourite country drives ...
Wild Peacocks in Ontario
One of our readers from Amherstburg sent us this report of her bird sighting - Every day on my way to work I am seeing 5-7 wild Peacocks grazing on the side of the road - can this be true? I didn't really believe it but I stopped yesterday and it was true - Peacocks!
