Ontario Nature Blog

Ontario Nature and For Youth Initiative hosted two hikes on May 7 and July 9 at Cedarvale Ravine in Toronto for youth in the Oakwood-Vaughan and York-South Weston communities. This week’s blog is written by Leya, one of our birding hike participants. Earlier this year, I went on my first birdwatching hike with For Youth ...

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As we continue to grapple with COVID-19, we are also faced with an outbreak of H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza among the North American bird population. Birders and scientists alike are understandably concerned about this development. What is H5N1? H5N1 is a highly contagious strain of the avian influenza virus (AIV). AIV ...

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It’s late spring in northern Ontario. I am sitting on a beautiful peninsula, listening to the ethereal song of the Swainson’s thrush, and watching the sunrise over a quiet, peaceful lake. Does it get any better? This is the beauty of the Wabakimi area. Earlier this year, I joined the Friends of Wabakimi (FOW) on ...

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Any birder who’s seen one, will tell you about the excitement of spotting a red-headed woodpecker. With a striking crimson head and a loud, harsh call, this unmistakable woodpecker takes centre stage on the backyard suet or drilling away into a tree. But unfortunately, things are changing quickly for this woodland standout. A May 2021 ...

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When you think of a bird’s nest, what’s the first image that comes to mind? Probably a bunch of sticks and leaves bundled together – right? Unfortunately, for birds that live in urbanized areas, they often use anthropogenic debris (otherwise known as garbage) to build their nests. This can result in entanglement or ingestion and ...

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