Greg Shchepanek

 Winter is Finally Hare Eastern Cottontail ( Sylvilagus floridanus ) Britannia Conservation Area, Mud Lake, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Time to spot bunnies in the snow, be it your Cottontails or Snowshoe Hares, winter is a season for seeing them. Especially Snowshoes the wild white bunnies of the snow. This year will prove to be a difficult time to see my favourite Hares due to the National Capital Commission (NCC) blocking off and restricting visiting of Hilda Road at Shirleys Bay. This is the location where most commonly the rabbits are found but I can still search for them on the Jack Pine Trail and the Mer Blue Conservation Area. But it is more uncommon to find them in theses locals. I have gotten most of my decent photos at Shirley's Bay and videos of the white Hares over the years but it seems a more common practice to restrict access and block off the common nature areas I choose to visit in the Ottawa area.  Snowshoe Hare ( Lepus americanus ) Shirleys Bay, Ottawa, Onta...

 Amphibians Galore American Toad ( Anaxyrus americanus ) Surprising to find so many amphibians hopping around the Fletcher Wildlife Gardens in downtown Ottawa. First, there were rabbits found pretty much everywhere which is not surprising but nice to see and photograph. Most notable was finding an American Toad close to the Amphibian Pond and later finding a pool just filled with Northern Green Frogs and their tadpoles which was a great setting to photograph the frogs. Usually we go to Fletcher for some bird sightings but this time proved to be the amphibians that were present throughout the Gardens leading to a most pleasant surprise and an opportunity to get some great shots. The Gardens are located next to the Dominion Arboretum and situated within the Central Experimental Farm and is known for its floral arrangements of natural Canadian plants and ornamental water ponds situated throughout the property.    Always happy to come across a Toad on my adventures usually f...