Andean Gull photographed at Limpiopungo Lagoon in Cotopaxi National Park
There really are a lot of different gull species out there aren’t there?
My days of just calling every gull I see a “sea gull” are long gone, but they’re still fairly boring looking birds to me, plus I’ve never forgiven that one that once pooped on my lip when I was a kid.
This one at least had some nice colouring, a distinct black head and white body, somewhat streamlined and elegant compared to the noisy squawkers back at home by Lake Ontario.
This Andean Gull photo was taken at Limpiopungo Lagoon in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador. These gulls tend to stick to mountain lakes and rivers all along the Andes, from Chile in the south to Colombia in the north.
They’re not endangered at all, due to their widespread habitat.
My personal alternative name for this hike in Kettle Lakes Provincial Park is “Scary Creature Trail”, but we’ll get to that soon enough.
Start of Wintergreen Trail at Kettle Lakes PP
There are some nice hiking trails at Kettle Lakes, and this could be a favourite for many people. All trails at the park are pretty short, with this one coming in at only 1.5km in length. It has mostly minor elevation changes – nothing gruelling, but offers some great lake views.
Wintergreen Trail at Kettles Lakes starts off with lush green fields and a mix of vegetation to enjoy. You’ll find the trail starts with a bit of low lying shrubs and a sandy dirt base, as is found at many of the parks in this area of Ontario, just east of Timmins. Blueberry bushes and jack pine forest are common here in the park.
Those tall spindly pines provide a fairly open start to the trail and offer possible bird, squirrel and chipmunk sightings. It isn’t long before the vegetation changes though, into denser forest with more birch trees popping up as the trail eventually winds around Island Lake, one of the many kettle lakes formed here by the last ice age.
Walking through some overgrown shrubs along the trail, approaching the lake, was when I heard something quite loud, which stopped me in my tracks.
Just up and around the corner something was making a lot of noise, rustling through the trees, breaking branches and causing commotion. Hmmm. Deer and smaller creatures tend to move around in practical silence, so this seemed odd.
Greenery along the Wintergreen Trail just before the scary noises…
Even bears, which love the blueberries around here, are generally very quiet. My heart started to race a bit as the noises got even louder and seemingly closer. Something was tearing up the forest just ahead of me and it didn’t sound friendly.
The trail was pretty narrow here. Rough terrain on the right was slightly uphill – towards the sounds, or a steep and long downhill slide that would eventually lead into Island Lake. It was going to be a jump downhill if whatever was ahead decided to come after me.
Stopped on the trail, above Island Lake
The noises got even louder, whatever it was, had reached the trail up ahead of me. Branches and twigs snapping. I waited for it to come barreling down the trail right at me, it sounded huge whatever it was!
Then the sounds started to get quieter. Moving away, moving downhill towards the lake. I cautiously moved forward on the trail, up to the corner and to where the noise had come from. I got there just in time to see the last parts of a birch tree being dragged down to the lake.
Ah ha! A beaver. I stood there near an opening in the forest and waited. Sure enough a couple of minutes later I saw the telltale ripples of a beaver swimming across the lake, with long tree in tow.
More handiwork (toothywork?) of the busy, busy beaver
The beaver had obviously been busy. Surveying the area it wasn’t overly obvious that a tree had just been dragged through, unless you looked close at the small shrubs and bushes. A little ways off the trail was where the tree had been taken. It was a good 50m or more from the lake, and a fair trek uphill/downhill for that beaver. He sure earned his reward!
Walking along the trail, with nerves calmed, I soon came across another birch tree that had been freshly chewed down by the beaver. Seemed that someone had some home renovations in the works.
Another birch tree, waiting to be dragged away by the beaver
I left the scary beaver trail behind and admired the lake from above. There weren’t any trails to get down and see what the beaver was up to, but that was probably good – nice for them to have their peace and quiet away from us visitors, even if they caused me a bit of a noisy scare.
View of Island Lake at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park, home to the noisy beaver
Before long, I came to a clearing and end of the trail. A nice walk in the woods, with a bit of a surprise. At least now I know what a beaver dragging a tree through the forest sounds like!
If you’re a fan of road trips, this little US journey has a bit of everything.
On paper, or on Google Maps, it comes in at around 530 miles long, but we all know that when you include visits to National Parks and scenic coastal highways there is a tendency to take a few extra side trips! I always allow for at minimum 10% extra on my road trips, and often exceed that.
San Diego Roadtrip time, hanging out in the desert in SoCal
In reality, I travelled more than 600 miles on this road trip, which started and ended in San Diego. If you’re thinking of going to Southern California, and San Diego, take a look at these highlights and consider doing some exploring outside the city.
Day 1 – San Diego
If you ask me, the first day of a road trip is the best day to cover the most ground. But, the exception is when you’re flying into a new city to start your road trip, as I was on this adventure. How come? Well, you need to stock up on supplies, enjoy a good meal and take some time to enjoy your new surroundings!
Day one on this journey included grabbing snacks and food from the grocery store, picking up the rental car and enjoying a greasy dinner from California’s favourite burger joint – In N Out burger. (Ok, so some road trip meals are about sampling the local fast food, instead of eating well!)
One thing I’ve learned to appreciate from many road trips is that National Parks get all the glory, but State Parks often have the best surprises. After a couple of hours of highway driving, the desert journey began and I had to stop to enjoy some of the local flora. There are some funky, cool looking plants in this part of the Colorado desert!
The first roadside surprise of this trip occurred on the way into the village of Borrego Springs. It’s a located in a very scenic flat desert landscape, with mountains in the background (prone to flash floods though!)
Near Borrego Springs, California
Driving towards town, these curious rusted animals popped up in the middle of the desert. First there were a few Mammoths, then some horses…weird, fun – photo stop!
Moving on from Borrego Springs, the desert landscapes were dramatic, with big mountains complementing deep canyons and dry washes.
Turning north, a final stop in Palm Desert to top up on gas had Joshua Tree National Park as the next destination.
Arriving just after sunset, the park quickly became eveloped in a blanket of darkness. This area of California is a dream for astronomers and night sky watchers. With very little development around, the park is isolated from light pollution. Just a couple of hours after sunset, the sky was twinkling with starts and air planes.
Playing around with some night photography in Joshua Tree National Park
Instead of seeking a campsite, I pulled over and spent a couple of hours trying my skills at photographing the night sky. I had never tried photographing star trails or the night sky with my current camera, so it was a fun experiment, which garnered mixed results. I learned that my current DSLR is much more sensitive than my older DSLR, I played with taking long exposure images as well as high ISO images – up to 6400ISO! A bit noisy, but I had to see just how good/bad images looked at that ISO.
With tiredness setting in, it was then off to have some dinner and find a camp site at Jumbo Rocks camp ground.
Day 3 – Exploring Joshua Tree National Park
What a night! Forgetting how cold it can get in the desert at night, it was a bit of a chilly sleep, compounded by insane winds that howled all night long. Thankfully getting up early at sunrise was always the plan and catching a few golden hour photos of Joshua Trees and desert scenery was a worthy reward.
Moody Morning Clouds and a Joshua Tree
Where to go and what to do? So many trails to choose from in this big park! I decided there were three must-do experiences on my hiking and adventure list for the day.
First stop was hiking around Hidden Valley. It was early in the morning and except for a solo rock climber, I had the trail and area all to myself. Well, there were a few ground squirrels running around too!
Hidden Valley Trail scenery in Joshua Tree National Park
Second hiking stop of the day? Checking out Barker Dam. Supposedly an area that attracts wildlife and migrant birds attracted to the water reservoir. They weren’t hanging around in abundance when I made it to the dam, but there were enough birds around and greenery on the ground to know that this was a unique place in this part of the Mojave desert.
The final park attraction of the day was Keys View. At 5185 feet / 1581 meters, this lookout was pretty cool, mostly for the fact that it overlooks the infamous San Andreas Fault. It was pretty cool looking across the desert valley to mountains on the otehr side of the fault. Every year the lookout and those mountains on the other side are pushed further apart, by more than an inch a year.
The San Andreas Fault – everything on the other side will slip into the Ocean one day. Maybe.
With the main attractions done, it was time to enjoy the rest of the park at leisure. Originally the plan was to spend another night in the park, at Cottonwood Spring, but it was closed due to flooding so plans changed, something you have to be prepared for on any road trip.
A detour to the Oasis of Mara brought me to the north edge of the park and from there it was a late-afternoon drive across the desert – headed west towards the coast.
A true desert Oasis – the Oasis of Mara at Joshua Tree National Park
Next stop? Carlsbad.
Day 4 – Carlsbad and Coastline
Being a beer geek, the night in Carlsbad was spent sampling some decent local craft beers from breweries like Stone, Alesmith and Lost Abbey. There is such an abundance of great beer in SoCal that I would call it the second most attractive beer destination in the US, just behind the Portland, Oregon area.
Headed south, this was a leisurely day for just seeing what the road had to offer. Del Mar was the first surprise, with it’s plethora of shops and perfect seaside location next to Torrey Pines State Reserve. After a bit of a walk around, the journey south continued all the way to Point Loma in San Diego, where I was staying for the next few days.
Ocean Beach sunset in San Diego, California
After seeing how beautiful the Torrey Pines area was on the drive down, I knew I’d be spending the entire next day hiking and enjoying the coast. Once settled into my hostel, it was time to head to Ocean Beach, or OB, to catch the sunset, then grab some grub at Pizza Port, which happens to be a great beer joint.
Day 5 – Pine Trees and Sea Lions
On a sunny San Diego day in January, the temperatures were set to reach 20C, so it was off to Torrey Pines for some hiking. What a great place! The Torrey Pine Tree is actually an endangered species that is found only in this reserve and on some nearby islands. They provided some great contrast to the dry desert ground, especially with the crashing waves of the Pacific in the distance.
Looking to the Pacific Ocean from Torrey Pines State Reserve
Wanting to get to the beach at Torrey Pines, I took a hike down to the shore and returned via the Beach route circuit. Winding through some hilly, shrub lands, scattered with the occasional pine tree, it was a popular hike that seemed mostly frequented by locals out for a jog or bit of exercise. Despite numerous rattlesnake sign warnings…no wildlife was spotted.
At the beach, it’s a big staircase down to the welcoming ocean waters. I headed south towards a spot called flat rock. Most people who head to the beach stop at the seaside cliffs beside flat rock, but if you do a bit of climbing and venture around the wall, a entire beach can be all yours! I spent an hour on this other side, enjoying my own personal beach. I also had to show that I was Canadian by getting wet in the water.
Nobody was swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Torrey Pines, but a few people were getting their feet wet. To me, the water wasn’t that cold, so I waded in almost waist deep to get some photos and walk along the shoreline.
After the beach journey and hiking back uphill to the road, the next stop of the day was La Jolla Cove.
Sleepy Seals at La Jolla Cove in SoCal
If you haven’t heard of La Jolla Cove, it is the best spot to go and watch sea lions on the beach. There are probably somewhere around 100 of them here, mostly lounging around on the beach. Some are perched precariously on rocks and others are zipping around quickly in the water. They’re a bit stinky, but they’re super fun to watch.
The biggest highlight here was watching one odd baby sea lion. It’s mother was slightly lighter skinned than the rest of the sea lions. She was kind of a lighter gray colour instead of dark gray / black like most other sea lions. But the baby, it was nearly pure white in colour! Very odd, at first you’d almost think it was an albino, except it did have some bits of colour on it’s fur.
After the day of adventure along the coast of SoCal, it was back to San Diego to enjoy a few more great beers. I first headed over to Coronado, for a nice sunset view of the San Diego skyline and a bit of BBQ at Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q.
Catching the Ferry to San Diego from Coronado
Then the night destination was Toronado pub. It was a bit out of the way, not downtown or along the oceanfront, but well worth the journey by taxi. Quite possibly the best lineup of beer I found anywhere in San Diego, both in bottles and on tap.
Day 6 – San Diego Zoo
Not much road trip driving today, but plenty of walking! Would the world-famous San Diego Zoo live up to it’s hype? Indeed it did.
While I skipped over many animals like elephants and giraffes, which I’ve seen in the wild in Africa, I was impressed with the spaciousness of the enclosures for the animals and getting to see some cool animals I’ve never had the pleasure of encountering in the wild (yet), such as spectacled bears and panda bears and a bunch of odd creatures I can’t remember the names of, ha!
One of the cool, funny-looking animals at San Diego Zoo
Even though I got there early, at opening time, and had planned to possibly see more of the city, I ended up staying for a full day, the Zoo is that big and that much fun.
After the Zoo day it was time for me to leave San Diego. I covered a lot of ground in 6 days and had planned to see even more. A novice road tripper may find this trip a bit too much to do in 6 days, so give yourself an extra day in the desert.
San Diego Road Trip Recap:
Distance on paper: 530 miles
Actual distance: 610+ miles
Start/End Points: San Diego Airport
Main cities: San Diego, Carlsbad, La Jolla, Escondido, Palm Desert
Main attractions: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla Cove, Ocean Beach, Coronado, San Diego Zoo
Two tasty-looking sheep hanging out on a hill in New Zealand
When it comes to posting wildlife and animal photos, I pretty much always try to post the specific species / subspecies name. After all a bear isn’t always just a bear, and my photographed wolf may be different than the wolf species you saw.
So, when I was in New Zealand I took a few pictures of sheep. I imagine everyone who visits Kiwi-land does so. People still jokes that there are 60 million sheep in New Zealand but far fewer people. 30 sheep for every person.
Ok, but what type of sheep are they?
Another mystery sheep on the South Island of New Zealand
Turns out there are at least 28 different sheep species in New Zealand! What? Seriously who knew there were so many types of sheep? I’m not making this up, this information is straight from Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the New Zealand Sheepbreeders Association.
Even wit ha helpful graphic they provide of different sheep looks and which island they’re found on – I was still confused as to whether these are Polwarth sheep, Corriedale sheep, Borderdale sheep, Perendale sheep or Cheviot sheep.
So, I’m just calling them sheep. What I do know, is that they look pretty damn tasty. Who wants some unknown species of lamb for lunch?
Today, March 3rd 2014, happens to be the inaugural “World Wildlife Day” as decided by the UN as a way to celebrate the great animal and plant species of our planet.
I’ve seen many exotic and endangered animals on my travels, so this black bear may not seem so exciting to some people who may prefer a picture of a polar bear or sloth bear. But I wanted to keep it close to home for this World Wildlife Day, as a way to remind everyone that there is great wildlife in your backyard, virtually wherever you live.
I’ve been lucky to spot black bears on many occasions in parks in Ontario and Quebec, Canada as well as parts of the US, including Yellowstone National Park. Unlike some other bear species the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is not listed as endangered, threatened or vulnerable. It is widespread and has a healthy population.
But, with that said it is also an animal that few of my friends or family members have ever seen in the wild. As with far too many things, wildlife often pays the price with an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach. Too often, action and conservation don’t take place until someone sees a tiger or panda bear blazened on a logo and heralded as in dire trouble in magazines and on TV.
My solution is simple. Go out and visit your national parks, state parks, provincial parks and wildlife refuges. Take a vacation at a marine reserve or go camping in your local conservation area. Spend some money in these places, so that animals such as the Black Bear can maintain their healthy, stable status in the wild.
Here at home, in the great expanses of Ontario, cutbacks have closed a number of provincial parks because attendance numbers have been low and didn’t justify the cost of maintenance and staffing. If the trend continues towards fewer parks, the remaining ones will all be more crowded, causing more stress and strain on the natural environment, including wildlife.
My best Black Bear encounters have all been at smaller, less-used parks. They’re further north, perhaps a 7-10 hour drive from most major cities, but they’re all worth it – places like Wakami Lake and Lake Superior Provincial Parks in Ontario. Some other provinces in Canada face similar issues and strains on their park systems, so wherever you may live – consider a visit to a less popular park destination.
Sure, I’ve also seen Black Bears walking around campsites in search of food at busy Ontario Parks likely Killarney Provincial Park, but we all know that isn’t natural behaviour, and can only lead to problems down the road.
So next time you take a family road trip or camping adventure, try somewhere new, venture a little further and help keep more of Canada a safe, protected and wild place. Happy World Wildlife Day!
