Join me, a Canadian naturalist, for weekly highlights from my hikes, paddles and camping trips around Ontario, Canada, complete with nature interpretation.
Really good tips, Kathleen. Your shots are always so good. One of these days, I'm going to make a dedicated nature photography hike to see how I do. Thanks as always for sharing your expertise. 👍
Glad you enjoyed that Daryl. I encourage you to take that time, stand still, listen and watch with camera in-hand. I bet you'll get some great shots. I use my tripod almost every time except when in my kayak. We're out on the camping trail now. I'll catch up on your videos when we get home! Thanks for watching.
Another best, a lot of birds, snakes, turtles, sad to hear there threatened, the video was like a bedtime story, I usually watch you in the morning, but….the end was sad😢
Glad you enjoyed the variety of wildlife Claudi. That's what I love about my nature hikes...I don't count on what I may discover on any given day and am therefore pleasantly surprised and intrigued. That closing scene with the crows mobbing the owlet was tough for me too. I hope that the parents could ward off the crows...but everything needs to eat. I was thinking about you during this week where Shannon and I are camping in Eastern ON....videos will start next week. This current one has some accessible sites that are being used by those needing the graded surfaces for their wheelchair, which is great!
@@HikingWithKathleen Thank you for the reply and reminder, I follow Birds of Prey photography, FB, I love them, just not when their eating lol🐦, I read we have Eagle sightings in Ontario, would love to see one❤️
@@HikingWithKathleen Hi , I was just thinking of you two also, I just got back from Shoppers, where the most beautiful red tail Hawk was perched on top of the sign, as a flock of pigeons ❤️🐦 circled in teasing mode☺️
Just wonderful! Happy I got my dose of Kathleen today. It's ridiculously hot in Scarborough this week and your footage cooled me down! However, I was very concerned about the future of the owlet. It was amazing to see that turtle laying her eggs. Good on you to keep her protected! Have a great week to you, Shannon and your Dad!
Glad you enjoyed that Susan. It's very hot here too...we're camping in Eastern ON and have not escaped the blanket of record-breaking temps across the province. It is turtle egg-laying season...you'll see more of them in the next couple of videos. Thanks so much for watching Susan. PS, about the owlet, I didn't get to that trail to check on it...hopefully the parents kept the crows at bay.
thanks Kathleen- really enjoyed that. yes, sitting or standing still does reveal so much more than marching through the environment. Do you have any suggestions for someone wanting to buy a camera and lens as a beginner without breaking the bank? Says a total budget for a camera and a versatile lens for $2000 - $2500 ? Even that is a lot of money for me. I can't ever conceive of getting your fantastic shots but would like to start somewhere . thanks for any ideas you might have. I know photography is a pricey business for good equipment. Maybe something to build on. thank you for your thoughts.
Hi Wendy, I'm delighted you enjoyed today's video. Yes, waiting quietly for wildlife to reveal itself is such a great way to be one with nature. About a suggestion for a camera, thanks for asking. I use two cameras, both are Canon cameras. The one with the telephoto lens is expensive and I worked my way up to it once I knew what I wanted to do with my videography. The smaller one that I speak into when narrating is also excellent. It's the one I will recommend to you. It's a Canon EOS M6 Mark II. The camera is good...costs about $1500 without a lens. I use a few lenses with it. The best one is the 32 mm lens. It provides a great sharp image and is good for narration....the digital screen of the camera flips up so you can see yourself. But to film wildlife with it, I also have the 55 to 200mm lens...so it will zoom. I don't recall the pricing. You can visit my website (www.hikingwithkathleen.com) and check under the gear tab...it will be listed with a direct link so you can read about it. It takes practice to get comfortable with them. Watch RU-vid videos that show you how to use that camera. Thanks for your ongoing support Wendy.
Thank you, Kathleen, for taking us along with you again. Such wonderful wildlife finds. The video footage is so crisp and clear of them in their habitat. Wonderful job!
I'm pretty sure that dark brown mammal you saw was in fact a Fisher. I've seen them on rare occasion on the Bruce, mostly in BPNP. They actually don't always move like something in the weasel family (hop/lope) except when unconcerned and just looking for something to scavange. I think they move more often like cats or foxes. They are very agile and FAST. If you see one, it's usually a very quick encounter, leaving one saying, "what the heck was THAT"....until they run up a tree. LOL Males are a good bit larger than females. Tracks are somewhat bear like in that they have five toes. A beautiful animal not often seen.
It was great to read your response today Deb. I only caught a glimpse of it and that's how I could rule out what it wasn't. Having never seen a Fisher before, I watched a RU-vid video to study their movement and just as you said, they seem to move like cats or foxes. Turns out the person I encountered on the trail immediately after seeing it used to work at MacGregor Point...and therefore it made sense that she suggested Fisher right off the bat. You're lucky to have seen them! I am now more curious about looking for them. Thanks for watching.
Amazing to see how you spot all this different wildlife. Really enjoyed seeing the coyote and also the baby bird who was adopted by another species. I also loved the snake hanging over the water on that branch.
It's not always possible, that's for sure. What I find works best is by being still so animals seem to forget that I'm there....then they carry on. I hope that helps you too to find wildlife.
Loved all your amazing tips , they will definitely help the next person venturing out on a wilderness hike ❤ Beautiful scenery and spectacular footage of all the wildlife. Thanks so much again ladies for sharing such beauty. Take care and have a wonderful week ahead ❤🌻
So glad you enjoyed that Tammy. I hope these tips help to bring folks closer to nature, making it easier to spot wildlife. Thanks so much for watching each week Tammy.
Ok, I'm sold! All the wetlands videos all the time! That was spectacular footage. I have never knowingly seen a female red wing before. We live near the Scarborough Bluffs and red wings are plentiful. Now I know what to look for in the female. I love your Dad's socks!!! Such a beautiful video. Many thanks to your and Shannon...and your Dad!
Thanks for your beautiful comments Susan. That's great that you now have a search image for female Red-winged Blackbirds. And you noticed my Dad's popcorn socks...haha. Glad you enjoyed this wetlands episode. Thanks for watching!
It must be a lot of fun to travel to different places and see wildlife that is a bit more unfamiliar. I live in Scarborough, NOT Toronto :) and I love seeing all the new to me birds in south western Ontario through you. Can't wait for your road trips to see what eastern Ontario has to offer! Thanks for all the hard work you and Shannon put into educating and entertaining all of us! Drive safely.
I'm delighted you enjoyed this one so much. We have just wrapped up our camping trip today in Bonnechere PP....such a beautiful Park...and surrounding area. On to our next stop later today (June 16)! We hope that you'll love the upcoming adventures with more exploring, paddling, etc. Thanks for sharing your home location as Scarborough. We're 2 hours down the highway from you. Thanks for watching Susan.
I especially enjoyed the background music of this one. Thanks. Shannon! Such a peaceful video...of course I didn't have to do all the work of paddling or managing rapids!
That was a very full and emotional video. Happy anniversary to your and your lovely wife. I felt so touched listening to your Dad talk about your Mom. We lost our husband/Dad 3 years ago and I hear the love and loss in your Dad's voice as I hear the same from my Mom. Please thank your Dad for sharing.
Susan, this was a very meaningful video for me, for many reasons. I'm glad you found it so touching. Loss is hard, even as time marches on. Healing takes a long time. So sorry for your loss too. Thank you for watching and for commenting.
Your skill is astounding my friend I had to go back and watch it again in case I missed anything just so much to take in and I love how you make it so personal everybody loves seeing your dad. Can't wait to see some of your camping adventures.
Loved, loved seeing that Blue Jay scare away the hawk. But why? Was the Jay protecting a nest and the hawk couldn't be bothered putting up with his shenanigans? Thanks for the poison ivy lesson...best one I've ever seen. I feel a lot safer now.
Thanks Susan, for your kind comments. Glad the Poison Ivy ID was helpful and meaningful. For those who are allergic, it can be quite unpleasant. As for the Blue Jay, mobbing behaviour takes place to drive away predatory animals...birds or others...so they are not threatened. Likely it was the Jay's territory and potential predators are not welcomed there. Thanks for watching.
Once again, I am in awe of your wildlife photography. I'm loving those drone shots, following the trails, I'm totally going to steal that idea one day. 😂 And kudos to Shannon for her music selections; they fit the scenes so well and are mixed in with the ambient audio so nicely. We must be of similar vintage, I also use the word 'soaker.' 😀 Your Dad is a delight!
What great feedback Daryl. Thank you. I'm so glad you, a fellow drone pilot, loves my shots. In SW ON, it's hard to find places to fly it...Provincial Parks are off limits and so are most other parks. So finding private property where I can acquire permission is where I head for those shots. Where you live in ON, it seems easier to get to spots where you're away from airports and other prohibitive or regulatory obstacles. What kind of drone do you have? And as for your Channel, I totally love how you narrate your footage after it's been shot adding interesting info. I would do more of that but early on we found that it effectively interferes with the flow of the music when Shannon lays tracks after I do all the fiilming and editing. So I insert typed words instead. But I totally love your narration style. We're away camping in Eastern ON so I will have yours to catch up on once we return home.
What a full video! The flicker brought back wonderful memories for me. I used to have an "apple doll" wonderful elderly neighbour next door. We would phone each other to alert each other that our flicker friend was making his/her annual stopover in our backyards. It was always for about 2 days or so. By the way, you have sure mastered your drone! Great footage.
Cute story about the flicker with you and your neighbour. I love seeing them too. Thanks so much about your compliment around my drone footage. Been flying mine for just over a year and find that this is my favourite use for it. I love that smooth Point Of View footage it provides. Thanks for catching up on a few videos last night Susan.
What an amazing opportunity to explore and experience all the wildlife throughout the wetlands habitat ❤……… Spectacular! Another wonderful and amazing video. Thanks for sharing ladies, take care and enjoy the rest of your week ❤🌻………..Also …… your dad is precious, he cracked me up lol 😆😂…. An absolute darling ❤ Take care ❤🌻
Thank you Tammy! Great to have you along each week! Good to hear that you enjoyed following through the wetlands with me. Yes, my Dad is a fun occasional guest...he watches this show on Rogers TV in his retirement home so he gets an extra kick out the episodes in which he's been included. Thanks for watching.
You are so very welcome 🤗 I thoroughly enjoy seeing all that you get to see while out on your beautiful nature walks ❤️ Your dad is a true gem 😊lovely to see him involved in such a wonderful way ❤️ Keep doing what you are doing, it makes a huge impact, thanks again so much for sharing your spectacular videos. Take care as always ladies, and truly have a wonderful day 😊❤️🌻
I have been busy dealing with 2 basement floods (ugh!) and am catching up on your videos. Thank you for using your time and expertise to help us stressed out people relax!!!
Oh Susan, I'm sorry to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to watch our videos. That means a lot to know that they have provided you with some relief from stress. Good luck getting your basement situation worked out.
Loved seeing the wetlands. Very unique to see you go through there are show us. Also nice to see your dad close out the video with a thanks for watching. Always fun when family wants to be involved with RU-vid.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this hike through the wetlands...they're so full of life! I'm glad you enjoyed seeing my Dad at the end. We had him over for a BBQ and well, the camera just showed up to capture some of our visit. He gets a kick out of it too. Thanks for watching.
Wow, wow, wow ... another over-the-top wildlife and wetlands video. This is so, so good! The music is always matched up perfectly with the content. Thank you both for all the work you put into these. It is a real treat to see your Dad, too :) Blessings! -- “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” Job 12:7-9
Thank you Richard for your kind and specific feedback. We're delighted that you enjoyed the wildlife, scenery and music that pulls it all together. We are definitely blessed to have nature all around us, showing us the way.
Wowwwww the Baltimore Oriole, the Drone, all the birds, you and Shannon, then Bird watching Bill❤️ Y’all have a wonderful week, thanks for the full of life video🌷🌞❤️✨✨✨✨you really made my day🥳💅🏾
Claudi, your comment meant a lot to read. I'm delighted you enjoyed all aspects of it and that it made your day...that was icing on our cake. Thanks for watching.
Wow, what great content! This camping site looks amazing with so much wildlife. The quality and clarity of the cameras is fantastic. Great to see you, Shannon, and Miley. Loved the music too :)
Thank you Richard. Glad you enjoyed MacGregor Point Provincial Park. We're already on the road for our upcoming camping adventures. More beautiful scenery and wildlife coming up in the weeks ahead. Thanks for your ongoing support.
Love hearing all those bullfrogs, I know they are invasive but the sound just makes it feel like summer. Hey Shannon, I love your purple shirt! Looks great on you. Thanks for taking us along on your hike Kathleen.
Thanks Jean...glad you enjoyed the video! MacGregor Point is such a great park. And as a birder, you'd love their birding festival (Huron Fringe Birding Festival) that runs two weekends in May. Lots to see there! Shannon's just loves her MEC clothes....she'll be happy to hear your kind comment. We're heading out the door this morning for our next (month-long) camping trip. Enjoy your summer travels too Jean!
What an incredibly beautiful location to go camping ❤ Loved all the wildlife you were able to capture. Amazing ❤ So glad you and Shannon had a wonderful time. Thanks again ladies for sharing such a lovely video ❤ Take care and have an amazing rest of the week ❤🌻
Great to meet you too Sue and Mark! Killbear, love the trails there. We went there last summer. If you're interested in seeing that video, it's here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XygtrdxYIUg.html. Enjoy Killbear!
Hi George and Carol, it was great to meet you too...sorry that I didn't remember your names to include in the shout-out but I did remember that meeting you at the Discovery Centre and that you folks bought an inflatable kayak after watching an earlier adventure. Thank you so much for speaking up and introducing yourselves...I love moments like that!
Yes, my "shy" wife and sometimes will do speaking gigs as a foodie and art lover so those topics are of great interest to her. Glad you enjoyed her cooking tips. She is a wonderful cook!
Yellow ladies slipper, Paint brush, Hairy Puccoon, who names these flowers, snake to seem to enjoy its camera close up❤️, so cool to meet fans, ……. very encouraging, looks like your deep in the woods, but only 30 min. to the camp ground, are there any electrical outlets on the trail, for battery charging, so far everywhere looks wheelchair friendly🌞🌷🍎, another great hike, lol porcupines, waddle real face, that’s how they run, could have been a raccoon ❤️
Hi Claudi, Thank you for your ongoing support. No electrical outlets along the trail...and mostly forested. It's beautiful at MacGregor Point. Now, as for being wheelchair accessible...not sure but is bicycle friendly and certainly the terrain is even in places for wheelchairs. Overall it's a very accessible park.
Kathleen 😍 What a fun start to your camping season 😍 I always enjoy your kayaking adventures and upright is always a bonus 🤣😍 I'm going to be honest I would have been back on to the shore for a cuddle with the dog 😍🐾 Apologies for the lack of contact these past two weeks Kathleen. It's been pretty hectic but fun time here on the island. I'll tell you all about it soon 😍 the next time I watch one of your videos I'll be in Ontario 🤯😍🇨🇦💚
John, so great to hear from you...and yes, I'm excited that your trip to ON is coming up very soon. I can only imagine how busy you are with your final preparations before arriving. We're still hoping that our paths may cross with you and Michelle. But in any case, here's hoping that you two have a lovely time with your hosts touring the area!
Thanks so much Dylan. I'm so glad you enjoyed our paddle adventure. We're heading back out on the road in a few days with kayaks for the next few weeks while camping so we're hoping to get out some more in them. Thanks for watching!
I think 'Paddlist' should be added to the English lexicon. Well done, Kathleen! Nice to see you both enjoying your kayaks and thanks for including the educational pieces about the local flora and fauna in your videos. Have a great week. Daryl
Haha, thanks for that Daryl...sometimes I wince while editing and realize oops...a missed ID or missed/made up word. Glad you enjoyed that addition plus our kayak adventures. We do love paddling. As it was fun to watch you and your son enjoying that as well in your recent upload. Thanks, as always, for watching and for your ongoing support.
Well Kathleen another absolutely lovely video, with wonderful wildlife footage and an adorable ending. The drone footage was really quite ethereal and felt like a dream, like I was floating just above the ground through the landscape, (I have in fact had at least one dream like this). I liked your choice of music and the clever overlay when the red admiral took flight. A thoroughly relaxing viewing. Tell me do you know if the former pet non-native turtles are causing havoc with the natural ecosystem. It makes you wonder.
I'm glad you enjoyed this video so much. I have to say, I too, love adding the drone footage to give that immersive feel as a viewer. You might also enjoy the more recent one, also including drone footage, and in it, I also mentioned our chat...it's called Solo Hiking Feeds My Soul (last week's video). About your question regarding Red-eared Sliders, yes, they do cause havoc as they compete with our native Painted Turtles. Folks get tired of having turtles for pets (they are long-lived too) so they mistakenly release them even when they are not native to that area...so it can spread disease too to the native species. Shannon selects all of the music tracks and does a great job adding them to the videos that I film, narrate and edit. Together, we make a great team! Thanks for watching.
I love it when you show your kayaking adventures. Hopefully. I will be heading out this weekend. There is so much wildlife on the rivers ( I am not into lakes), and paddling gives you a different aspect of nature. By the way, I am finally getting my drone on Saturday. Thank you for your beautiful videos with such superb music.
Cathie, that's wonderful that you have a paddling adventure coming up this weekend - weather looks good! And yes, being in the water - river, creek, etc. brings you closer to wildlife. About your drone, what kind did you buy? Did you get the pilot certificate? So glad that you are enjoying our videos. Thanks for watching!
Woohoo, what a great paddling adventure! I loved the sounds of the water passing through. If you had been here in Florida, you would have no doubt encountered an occasional alligator lying on the banks of the river. I used to do a little canoeing when I lived in Maine on a few ponds and lakes. It's so peaceful :)
Richard, I can only imagine we'd have to be on the lookout for alligators...no lunch spot along the shore in Florida waters...haha. Maine is such a beautiful part of the US. Only got as far as Bar Harbor while on a cruise in 2014. Florida of course, is beautiful...loved touring the Everglades National Park. So much beauty in our continent! Glad you enjoyed the sound of the river water on our paddle. Thanks for watching.
Absolutely stunning ❤ you transported the viewer directly where you were -- Breathtaking! ❤ Glad you all had a wonderful trip, lots of amazing sights to behold. Hope the remaining holiday went just as peaceful 😊 Enjoy the rest of your week ladies, take care and thanks again for sharing such lovely videos ❤🌻
That was great to hear Tammy - that we "transported the viewer...." I'm glad it left you feeling that way. The rest of that trip was wonderful and almost too short - one week which wrapped up Sunday. Part 2 will have lots of the park scenery and wildlife! Thanks for watching.
It was so peaceful being out there, miles away from urban settings, with just the water, comrades and wildlife. So glad you enjoyed that. Thanks for watching!
Awesome River ride, the sound of the paddle hitting the water🌞, it’s real nice, who new Canada has a famous paddler, that was some good paddle education, thanks Mike, I like the way you detail it all✨✨✨
Thanks Claudi, so glad to hear that you enjoyed our adventure down the Saugeen River! Yes, Mike was a wealth of knowledge and paddling experience having learned his white water paddling skills from Paul Mason, son of Bill Mason. Thanks for watching!
