An unusual scene to start the day, a fox eating a dead beaver on the highway.
In June 2025, I was on my way for a sunrise paddle. Arriving at the launch, just off a major highway, I discovered a beaver that had been hit by a car. I have to admit, it was a gruesome sight, and I felt upset for the beaver who had lost his life. As I sat in my car, feeling my emotions, a fox emerged from the dense vegetation along the road. I watched as the fox ventured onto the highway to help itself to an easy meal. Realizing the fox was also likely to be struck and killed by a passing vehicle, I knew I had to do something.
I decided to move the beaver off the highway so the fox or other scavengers wouldn’t meet the same fate. I didn’t want to touch the beaver with my bare hands, so I considered my options. Using my paddle was the only solution I found.
The fox’s fur was wet from rubbing against the dew-covered foliage at the side of the highway.
Traffic was light as it was an early weekday morning. I deemed it safe to enter the middle of the highway with my paddle and attempt to move the beaver. An adult beaver can weigh 35-50 pounds, and this large one easily fell within that range. Hoping to balance it with my paddle, I exited my vehicle.
Before starting, I checked for cars and, reassured by the empty road, took a moment to pick up my camera from the passenger seat and snap a few images of the fox. Afterward, I opened the hatch and grabbed my paddle, wondering if my Werner Camano composite paddle would be up to the unusual challenge ahead.
Capturing these images of the fox in the early morning light required a higher ISO. These images were all shot at ISO 1250, f/7.1, which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/640.
After checking for traffic, I walked to the highway’s center. The skittish fox moved to the shoulder but watched me closely. As I lifted the beaver onto my paddle, the fox ran up and eyed me, as if to ask, “Where are you going with my breakfast?” The beaver was heavy, but surprisingly, I balanced it. The smell was indescribable.
After clearing the beaver off the highway, the fox could safely enjoy its easy meal.
With the beaver balanced on my paddle, I crossed to the far side of the highway. The fox stayed right beside me. In fact, he was better at heeling than most dogs I know. Stepping over the guardrail, I brought the beaver into a gravelly clearing, far from the road, for the fox and other scavengers to enjoy. Some entrails remained on the road. To finish my deed, I needed to move these too.
Even when my subject is slow moving like this great blue heron, I use a fast shutter speed. My camera settings for this shot were 1/1000, f7.1, ISO 800.
I scooped what I could with my paddle, and as I did, the fox reappeared at my heels. The fox grabbed about three feet of what I think was intestine and pranced across the highway, shaking it in its mouth like a dog with a rope toy. Despite how gross it was, it was kind of comical as the fox looked quite proud.
Unsure how close I could get to this cow moose, I used my Canon RF 1.4 extender on my RF 100-500 mm lens. My camera settings for this shot were 1/400, f/10, ISO 1600.
With the beaver clear of the highway and the fox left to his meal, it was time to unload my pack boat and begin my paddle. As I crossed the lake, I heard the haunting call of a common loon. A great blue heron foraged along the shoreline, and at the far end of the lake, I saw a cow moose.
The day began unexpectedly, and the initial sight left me unsettled. Still, knowing I likely saved the fox and later seeing more wildlife made it a good day.
I underexposed this shot by 2/3 in order to properly capture the darks in this scene.
I now carry disposable gloves and garbage bags in my car. If I come across roadkill again without my paddle, I can move it and dispose of the gloves at the next garbage bin.
After getting a little close to the moose I removed my extender. 1/800, ISO 1600, f/7.1
These images and story are more graphic than usual for me, but I wanted to share this message in hopes of preventing more unnecessary roadkill.
Though not the biggest bull in the park, any moose encounter is a great encounter.
In late 2019, I purchased a small travel trailer as an experiment to see if I could live in a tiny space. My end goal is to build a small cabin in the woods if I can find land and if living small works out. I was fortunate to find a location for my trailer not too far from Algonquin Provincial Park and have been living in it from May to October since 2020. Happy with the small space and location, it was time to experience a full winter here. I’ve spent time in the area during the winter months in each of the past six years either winter camping, house-sitting, or staying in motels, but I felt experiencing snow from November to April was a good idea before committing to buying land.
Canada jays are always a treat to see and photograph in Algonquin Park.
In October, I rented a small cabin a stone’s throw from where my trailer is located. What was nice is I didn’t have to commit to a full year lease but chose eight months so it overlaps with my time at the trailer allowing me to take my time moving in and out. The cabin is simple, nothing fancy, just the amenities I need (a roof over my head, heat, water, and a place to work).
Looking out over Lake of Two Rivers on a frosty morning.
With a full fall and winter ahead of me, I created a wish list of things I wanted to see and photograph. In past years when I’ve visited Algonquin in late fall and winter, the longest I’ve stayed each time has been a week, so have felt a bit rushed to see as much as I can and found myself visiting only the well-known, well-travelled areas in search of wildlife. I still visit those areas on my trips into the park, but I’ve also spent a lot of time off the beaten path searching areas few or no human ventures once the snow flies.
Male pine grosbeak
So far, I’ve already crossed several items off my list. The first item was to capture an image of a bull moose in late fall posing in front of some golden tamarack trees. Tamaracks have a special place in my heart because we had one in the backyard growing up my dad planted. It was in that backyard my love of nature was sparked. When I bought my first home, I purchased a tamarack tree for my own yard. At the time, I was recovering from back surgery and couldn’t dig, so my dad came over and dug the hole and planted the tree for me. Needless to say, when I see a tamarack tree I think of my dad.
Though not on my wish list, this Harris’s Sparrow was a pleasant surprise. These birds rarely venture this far east and are more commonly found in Central North America.
Early in November, while driving through the park, I noticed a bull moose standing at the edge of a pond. There was a nice spot I could pull completely off the highway and watch/photograph the moose. I was fortunate to watch this bull for an extended period of time and capture several images. During this time, it fed on water lilies and even crossed the pond. It glanced over at me several times but since I kept a respectful distance it didn’t care I was there and went about his business.
One of the items on my wish list was to photograph a bull moose in front of golden tamarack trees.
After watching for several minutes, the bull made its way along the edge of the pond. In the direction it was heading were three small tamarack trees sporting their golden fall foliage. My excitement built (I was already pretty excited) as I said in my head, or maybe even out loud, “keep going, keep going.” Sure enough, the bull walked right in front of those tamaracks. Now it wasn’t the biggest bull in the forest, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers!
This red fox was photographed just before dark at high ISO. I’ve been very impressed with my new Canon R6 MKII.
Another item on my list was a fox in the snow. Late one afternoon, after one of our first snowfalls, I was following two sets of moose tracks and several wolf tracks. I’m not sure if the wolves were following the moose or just using the same trail, but the tracks were fresh, and it looked promising. I was losing daylight, but after hearing a pack of wolves howl, I decided to continue on. A lone Algonquin wolf appeared briefly, then darted back into the woods. What an amazing experience! Realizing I was about an hour from the car and had about the same amount of time before it was completely dark, I turned around.
If you are planning a trip to Algonquin Park, the Visitor Centre feeders are a good place to search for pine grosbeaks.
On my way back to the car, something appeared on the trail. It was far away, and I couldn’t tell what it was other than it moved. I raised my camera to zoom in, and sure enough, it was a fox. It sat on the middle of the trail watching me. As I moved towards the fox, it would move a few feet then sit back down. The fox repeated this several times as I got closer. I snapped several images at a high ISO but didn’t expect much.
Even when I don’t find something on my list, there’s always something to see. I watched this otter catch and eat several catfish in a short period of time.
Since the spring, I’ve been using a newCanon R6 MKIImirrorless camera but haven’t really pushed its low light capabilities until now. Eventually, the fox disappeared off the trail. When I reached the area I last saw the fox, I took my time and looked around. Sure enough, to my left I located the fox standing next to a tiny patch of snow. It wasn’t the completely snowy scene I envisioned, but I’ll take it! More importantly, given the distance the fox was (the images are heavily cropped) and the lack of light and high ISO I was impressed with the R6’s performance.
Female pine grosbeak
According to the annual finch forecast, an irruption is predicted for this winter. An irruption is when a large number of a species migrate south due to a lack of food in their typical winter range. In the case of birds this is common with finches, red-breasted nuthatches, and even owls. These irruptions are cyclical and happen every few years. I’ve experienced finch irruptions over the years including the winter of 2024 when evening grosbeaks, redpolls and purple finches were abundant in the park. In fact, I wrote a blog post called Finch Me I’m Dreaming about my week in Algonquin at that time.
Male pine grosbeak eating grit and salt at the side of the road.
Up until this year, I had never seen a pine grosbeak. With an entire winter ahead of me and an irruption predicted, would this finally be the year? As you might have guessed pine grosbeak went on my list. Despite the name grosbeak, like the evening grosbeak, pine grosbeaks are in the finch family.
I’ll take any opportunity I get to photograph a spruce grouse. I love the intricate feather patter on these birds.
I did some research on pine grosbeak habitat to hopefully improve my chances of locating these. It turns out their preferred habitat and food essentially comprises all of Algonquin Park. Fortunately, grosbeaks are often found along roads, consuming grit and salt. The grit ingested enters the bird’s gizzard and grinds up seeds, aiding in digestion, while sodium is an important mineral in their diet. So far this winter, I have seen several flocks of pine grosbeaks feeding on or beside Highway 60. If you are planning a trip to Algonquin Park this winter, drive slowly and watch out for flocks of birds on the road. The feeders located at the visitor centre is another spot where pine and evening grosbeaks can be found.
Evening grosbeaks have migrated south in large numbers as part of this year’s finch irruption.
So far this winter, I’ve crossed several items off my photography wish list, and this post shares my encounters with only a few. I have several other exciting sightings to share in future posts including barred owl and Algonquin wolves! If you haven’t already, subscribe to my blog, and be notified via email of new posts once published.
The fresh snow on Christmas Eve day added to the beauty of the landscape.
I’ve been on a real hiatus from updating my blog but am going to do my best to post more frequently. Since 2024, along with my niece, Megan, we have published two books featuring my images and bird knowledge combined with her writing skills, so much of my time focused on them. A huge thank you to everyone who has purchased copies, we can’t thank you enough for your support! I appreciate everyone who reads my blog and follows along on my adventures, and I’m looking forward to sharing more in 2026.
Happy New Year and of course,
Good birding,
Paul
* Please note this post contains Amazon affiliate links. You can help support my website by using the above links when you purchase products on Amazon (they send me a few bucks when you do at no additional cost to you). I only provide links to products I have purchased and am satisfied with based on my own experience. Thanks for your support!*
Having a plan and in this case, a plan B helped me achieve my dream of seeing a moose in the water.
Whenever I head out for a day of photography I always have some sort of plan for how I am going to approach the day. This plan is never too elaborate and doesn’t take much time to put together. Usually, it’s nothing more than where I am going to go and my direction of travel once I get there based on light and wind. If possible I want the light at my back as this makes for easier views and better images and those of you who have followed me for a while know I almost always search in areas protected from the wind.
The moose on the left I believe is a young bull born last year.
My plan on this day was to revisit a lake in Algonquin Park I had paddled the previous week where I saw a cow moose and her two young calves. On my initial outing, I enjoyed nice views of this trio but failed to capture any images as I was too far away. The wind was forecast to be strong out of the northwest but thought if I hugged the shoreline I would be protected and end up at the far end of the lake right where I had seen these moose previously.
The soft mud at the edge of the river caused the moose’s legs to sink in making it a challenge for them to exit the water.
Arriving at the lake the wind was due north and the waves were crashing in on the beach at the launch area. Paddling for several kilometers into this headwind was going to be no fun so I knew I needed to come up with a plan B.
Here the moose on the left sunk all the way to its hips.
One thing about Algonquin is there is no shortage of lakes, so I decided to go to a lake on the other side of the road. The wind there would be offshore and I could safely and easily make my way into a narrow, slow-flowing river that joined another small lake.
After freeing his back legs his front legs then sunk in the mud.
After unloading my canoe and filling it with my gear and Molly, I began paddling for the river. The wind at my back helped push me along and this close to shore there were no waves. Entering the river there were few American Black Ducks on my left resting on a fallen tree. These ducks may not be the most colourful waterfowl but for reasons I’m still not sure they’re one of my favorites. After a few pictures, I continued down the river.
Finally, the moose found a bottom that would support their weight.
As I made my way downriver, I could hear loud splashing in the water behind me. I looked over my should and saw two moose entering the water. Seeing a moose in the water from my canoe has always been a dream of mine so this experience was incredible. I quickly raised my camera and began taking photos as the moose proceeded to drink. I believe this was a cow moose with a young bull born last year as he was bigger than other calves I’ve seen but not as big as the cow. The two watched me as I watched them and they didn’t seem overly concerned about my presence but did keep a close eye on Molly.
I captured a video of the two moose swimming across the river which you can watch on YouTube below.
What happened next was truly amazing. The two moose swam across the river to the other side. Almost effortlessly they crossed but once on the far side began sinking in the mud. The mud was too soft to support their weight and they quickly sank to their knees. It was a little difficult to watch these amazing creatures struggling to get out of the water but it didn’t take them long to get their footing.
Molly was surprisingly composed throughout the whole experience, much more than I was.
I think the soft mud must have been too much of a challenge for these moose as not long after crossing the river they entered the water again and swam back across to where they came from. Watching this from about 40 yards in my canoe was an awesome experience and one I’ll never forget. I was impressed with how calm Molly was as she really didn’t care about the moose which is surprising as she is normally fascinated with creatures larger than her. She glanced over as the moose splashed but that was about it. She gets much more excited from the back seat of the car when we stop to see moose at the side of the road. When hiking if we come across deer she often gets so excited she lets out a loud bellow that sounds like a cross between Chewbacca from Star Wars and a bull Elk bugling. On this occasion, merely a brief head turn.
Continuing further down river another moose came into view grazing in the tall vegetation. This moose was much more skittish and quickly hightailed it back into the forest.
With a fast shutter speed, I captured this image of a loon resetting its wings after preening.
Exiting the river, I made my way into a protected bay on the next lake. Here, I had great views of a loon as it splashed around and preened. I find the loons in Algonquin very curious and they often swim over to my boat shortly after coming into view. I have had some incredible views over the past two seasons as many of these birds have come to within a boat length while I watch and photograph quietly.
Many of the loons I’ve encountered approach me in my boat resulting in up-close views.
All the images in this post were taken with my new Tamron 100-400mm lens. I love this lens as it is incredibly lightweight (2.5 lbs) and I’m happy with the focus speed and image quality. The zoom range is perfect especially for larger subjects like moose and close subjects like the loons. I have found myself using this lens at 250mm or less on many occasions since coming north.
As is the case whenever I am photographing birds and wildlife I like my shutter speed at least 1/1000 if possible. With slower moving subjects like moose and loons, I could get away with a slower shutter speed but given the fact I’m moving drifting in my canoe, a fast shutter speed is still warranted. On this day I had plenty of light so set my ISO at 400 and aperture to f/8 to give me a little more depth and detail which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/1600. On bright sunny days like this, it’s easy to blow out the highlights so after checking my histogram I adjusted my exposure compensation to -2/3 of a stop to retain detail particularly in the white feathers of the loon.
By carefully choosing my camera settings and exposing for the whites I was able to capture all the detail including the water droplets on this loon’s stomach.
Having a plan helps me get the most out of my time outdoors. As mentioned, my plan is nothing elaborate that takes weeks or days of planning. Often it’s thrown together the night before or the morning of an outing based on weather and wind direction and if the weather report happens to be off as was this case on this day it’s a good idea to have a plan B. With three moose and a loon seen on this adventure, there’s no doubt I’ll plan a trip back soon.
Last season, the Red Fox was a species I failed to photograph. This year, I’ve already managed several images of this sly animal.
I can’t believe I’ve been at my trailer for a month already. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. I’ve settled in nicely and developed a balance between work and play that is working out well as I have had time to do lots of both.
Bald Eagle photographed from my canoe while paddling the Madawaska River.
Choosing to start work at 4 a.m. allows me to take time later in the day for hiking or paddling and having the flexibility to make my own schedule is what I love most about my day job. People often question how I can spend so much time enjoying the outdoors and simply put I make time. Whether it’s starting early, working evenings, or even on weekends I do what is required so I can spend time in nature. This is what I love and keeps me healthy both physically and mentally, so making time for it is a priority.
This Hairy Woodpecker and his mate excavated a tree cavity about forty yards from my trailer and are now nesting. I’m looking forward to watching them raise their brood this season.
During the recent warm spell, I’ve spent more time paddling than hiking. The breeze off the lakes keeps me cooler and photographing nature along the water’s edge is easier than shooting through a dense forest. My paddles have been rather strategic thus far as with Algonquin Park closed to campers the area is a ghost town. I’m using this to my advantage to find wildlife and am visiting areas where plenty of park-goers will be once the province opens up to campers.
With fourteen moose observed already, I’ve surpassed my total from last season.
My moose count this year sits at fourteen, which far surpasses my total from all of last season. In fact, it was later in the year before I saw my first moose last season. My best moose sighting was a cow and two calves at the edge of a lake. They were pretty far away, too far for photos, but I enjoyed the view with my binoculars and captured a short video which I posted to Facebook with my Panasonic Lumix camera with a 60x zoom.
I’m no biologist and my hypothesis would still need to be proven, but I’m willing to wager road mortality in wildlife would decrease if said wildlife would not stop for a dump in the middle of a busy highway.
Also seen in good numbers, have been Red Fox. Some mornings I’ve seen one not too far from camp and on several trips into Algonquin I’ve observed them beside the highway. One morning while on my way into the park I saw a fox running at the side of the road. I pulled over and captured a few images as it retreated into the vegetation adjacent to the gravel shoulder. After passing by it then darted back out on the highway and proceeded to cross. To my surprise, the fox stopped in the middle of the highway and pooped on the freshly laid asphalt before continuing across.
Common Loon covered in black flies.
Loons are one of my favourite birds to photograph and like last year I’ve come across them on most of the lakes I’ve paddled. One pair I found had a nest at the edge of the lake with a single egg that I could see with binoculars. People are curious to know how the black flies are up here and personally I don’t find them bad. That being said, I typically don’t get bit by black flies or mosquitos so I might not be the best person to ask. I’ve heard several theories as to why this is, but all I know is I am grateful for this. On one of my paddles, I came to within a boat length of a loon that was covered in black flies and I never had a single bite or even any swarming around me.
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies feeding on a pile of dung.
Last week, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies appeared in huge numbers. These yellow and black beauties are everywhere. On a day trip up the Oxtongue River, a large group of these butterflies was feeding on a pile of dung. Why do butterflies eat dung you ask? From what I’ve read, dung is rich in sodium and nitrogen two elements required for reproductions that flower nectar lacks.
Paddling up a narrow creek to a tiny set of rapids is something I really enjoy. The sound of the flowing water is so serene.
Since I last published a blog, I’ve continued to do more fishing than I did last season. With bass season still closed and having caught my fair share of pike, I’ve switched my attention to trout. Even back when I fished all the time I was never much of a trout fisherman. So far this year, my success trout fishing has been quite good. Armed with a few small Mepps and some Len Thompson lures I’ve managed to catch several Brook Trout in various rivers and Lake Trout on the larger lakes. I do enjoy eating the occasional fish, but find it hard to kill these amazing creatures so everything has been catch and release thus far.
I caught this small Brook Trout while fishing on the Oxtongue River. To see my latest YouTube video featuring this catch, see the link in the paragraph below.
Speaking of Brook Trout, I uploaded a new video to my YouTube channel called Exploring The Oxtongue River where I paddle this beautiful waterbody and find a variety of birds, run a small set of rapids with my dog Molly, and catch a small Brook trout.
Loon shaking off the black flies.
I’m looking forward to many more weeks this season at the trailer enjoying nature and exploring new areas of Algonquin Park while returning to some old favourites. Based on my time so far, it’s shaping up to be another amazing season for sure. I look forward to sharing more stories from my adventures and the images I capture and appreciate all of you following along with me.
