Joe Atikian
Toronto , CA
Member since January 31, 2018
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Butterfly Feeder
Milkweed has recently become a popular garden plant, as people tune in to its ecological roles. Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed as it is the only food consumed during the insect's larva phase. Milkweed seed pods are a pale green through the summer. They turn brown and rupture in autumn, exposing the silky fibres that bear the plant's tiny seeds. Seasonal winds will eventually sweep those seeds away and allow new generations to grow.
Chilled Robin
Toronto’s High Park covers about 400 acres with several types of habitat ranging from savannah to wetland to leafy Carolinian Forest. Many wildlife species use the park as a permanent home and as transitional ecosystem as they stage for autumn migration. This year, many hundreds of song birds congregated in a small pocket of deciduous trees for a few weeks in October and November before dispersing again. Song birds are often seen puffing up their feathers, and one reason is to insulate themselves during increasingly cold autumn days. This Robin sat contentedly on a tree branch near eye level, puffed up and seemingly oblivious to any onlookers.
A Dignified Heron
Great Blue Herons are a relatively common sight in North America’s wetland areas. They have, however, been listed as a species of special concern in British Columbia due to habitat degradation. Herons usually avoid letting people get very close, even when they become acclimated to human population centres. In this case, the bird seemed to be quite settled as he patiently sat for this profile shot near day’s end on the shore of Toronto's Grenadier Pond.
Leaping the Falls
Toronto may be the only major city in the world where you can see many species of fish jump over a river dam. The Humber River is home to salmon, trout, and hybrids that spend the summer in Lake Ontario, and return to the upper river during their annual spawning run. Three small man-made dams prevent invasive lamprey eels from reaching the fish’s final spawning grounds. This year I went to the first dam several times, only to find the water too shallow for the fish to get up to speed. Instead they waited in the deep pool near the base of the dam through late September. When the October rains arrived, hundreds of fish attempted the leap. The river's autumn spawn is first dominated by large, powerful Chinook and Coho Salmon. Later in the season, on this cool November day, I was lucky to capture a far more unusual sight. This gorgeous Brown Trout attempted to leap the falls, twisting at just the right angle to catch the sun. Browns are among the fastest swimmers, but rarely leap high enough to reach the top. To catch this speedster with a single shot, photographers should keep a waiting eye strictly trained on the foaming water at the base of the falls where the fish emerges.
The Buddy System
Toronto may be the only major city in the world where you can see many species of fish jump over a river dam. The Humber River is home to salmon, trout, and hybrids that spend the summer in Lake Ontario, and return to the upper river during their annual spawning run. Three small man-made dams prevent invasive lamprey eels from reaching the fish’s final spawning grounds. Chinook and Coho Salmon, big, strong upstream swimmers, only occasionally overcome the rushing flow through the dam’s special fish gap. In a single October day, I watched as at least one hundred fish of various sizes and species tried to leap to the upper level of the falls. No more than two succeeded in their attempts. These two took a completely different approach by forgetting about the jump altogether, settling for an underwater route with a friend. They did not reach their target, but earned full marks for style.