If you’re looking for a pure wilderness experience there are certain animals that have a way of confirming that you’ve arrived. One of those creatures is the Bald Eagle.
This impressive bird of prey is found across North America, yet many people have never seen one in person. On my recent adventure into Algonquin Park, it was a great surprise to learn that some Bald Eagles had taken up residence and started nesting on part of Opeongo Lake in recent years.
As we rode our Algonquin Outfitters water taxi ride out to our canoe put-in, we passed by an island that had one of the Bald Eagles minding it’s nest. As we watched the bird for some time, it took off and flew around the island, before perching atop one of the highest tree branches it could find.
Bald Eagle at Opeongo Lake in Algonquin Park
It flew with such grace, it looked quite effortless. While I went to Algonquin Park mostly in search of Moose, this was one of many wildlife surprises that helped over deliver on excitement during my time in the park.
Editorial note: While I am always looking for great outdoor adventures, especially at our provincial parks in Ontario, this particular experience was compliments of the great people at Explorer’s Edge, who sent me on a 3-day “Quintessentially Canadian” tour in Ontario as part of the TBEX Toronto conference.
There is nothing more mesmerizing in the wilderness than hearing the haunting call of the common loon (also known as the great northern loon) from a nearby lake.
Ontario is a haven for common loons, a great looking bird that you’ll often paddle by in canoes. With red eyes, blue and green colourations with white specks, they’re one of the prettiest birds found in Ontario. As kids, when you grow up around cottage country or go “up north” to camp in Ontario, you learn from a young age how to try and mimic the “sounds” of the loon with your hands. Some people can get quite adept at it, although it was never a skill I was particularly good at.
They’re usually found in pairs, but as quintessential as they are to the lakes of Ontario, they are also hard to find in some places where acid rain, pollution and frequent disturbance from human activities take their toll.
Common Loon on Hailstorm Creek, Algonquin Park
Thankfully, Algonquin Park and many Ontario Parks, are safe havens for these birds, who prey on all sorts of fish. Some of my favourite moments from road trips and adventures in Ontario come from quiet nights camping near a lake, when the only noise you hear is a loon calling to another loon much further away on another lake. This sort of call-response communication or back-and-forth calling reminds you that you’re in a part of the country where nature rules, and you’re just a visitor.
Just remember that if you do see loons out on the lake, or nesting nearby, they’re sensitive birds, so please keep your distance and admire them from afar so that they’ll continue to return year after year.
Editorial note: These loon photos were taken during a great canoe trip along Hailstorm Creek, near Opeongo Lake in Algonquin Park compliments of the people at Explorer’s Edgeand Algonquin Outfitters who sent me on a 3-day “Quintessentially Canadian” tour in Ontario.
Algonquin Park is one of those special, quintessential Canadian experiences. Hiking, camping, canoeing and Moose-spotting are favourite Canadian past times in this part of Ontario, and when is the best time of year to spot Moose? Spring time!
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Algonquin Park more times than I can remember, including guiding groups of tourists around parts of the park. I’ve always had a soft spot for this park because of it’s impressive wildlife watching opportunities, with Moose being the #1 desired animal for me, and pretty much everyone else.
Algonquin Park Moose – Springtime
The most Moose I’ve seen in one day was 13 (in Springtime of course), but despite there being so many of these odd looking creatures in the park, most of my summer visits have resulted in seeing no Moose. How come? Well, they’re just so good at camouflage!
Take a look at this photo. This is the same Moose that was pictured above. But after slipping only a few feet into the bush, all you can see is a silhouette. The springtime vegetation was just starting to fill in during this trip, so if this Moose was standing there in summer, he’d be totally hidden by leaves and branches. If you’re driving or walking by, you probably won’t notice this shadowy figure. Especially after he takes a few more steps deeper into the forest and virtually cloaks himself in darkness.
Algonquin Park Moose – Camouflaged
That is the trick with these giants of the forest, they’re just so hard to spot sometimes! While spring is the best season to spot them – less vegetation, and they like to be near roadways, getting salty nutrients after a long winter – any season is a good time to go looking for Moose.
In summer, thankfully they love eating water lilies so spotting a Moose while canoeing down a lake is always a possibility in Algonquin. The same goes for autumn, but by then you have the added bonus of leaves changing colours and the male Moose will be sporting impressive, large antlers. In winter, finding animals like Moose in the park is made more fun by being able to see their tracks in the snow.
Moose in Algonquin Park – they are the tallest members of the deer family
Now, in general, the Moose tend to like grazing open waterhole and grassy areas, like this guy was. But not during the heat of the day in summer. They like to take shelter in the shade then, so it’s always best to look for Moose in the early morning and late evening hours, after sunrise and before sunset.
This particular Moose was one of 9 I saw on a day trip to go canoeing in Algonquin Park with Algonquin Outfitters, a trip organized by Explorer’s Edge. Some people I was with said they saw 14 or so Moose that day, but my eyes couldn’t spot them all!
This Moose could use a nice, new coat of summer fur…
A lot of people laugh at the weirdness of these creatures. They look awkward, being so tall, and have odd faces. This guy also happens to be one of my favourite Moose I’ve seen in all my visits to Algonquin. His antlers are starting to grow, with a smooth, furry “velvet” on them, but his fur is still matty and ugly-looking from the winter.
Have you ever seen a Moose in the wild? What do you think of these Moose pictures? Is he cute? Ugly? Weird-looking?
Editorial note: While I am always looking for my next great outdoor adventure, this particular experience was compliments of the great people at Explorer’s Edge, who sent me on a 3-day “Quintessentially Canadian” tour in Ontario as part of the TBEX Toronto conference.
