paul, Author at Waterloo Region Nature

WRN Kids – Pond Study

Friday, June 5, 2026 by paul

Pond Study at Huron Natural Area

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Where was the outing?

At a pond at the Huron natural area.

What was the weather like?

Hot and sunny and there were no clouds in the sky.

What did we do?

We collected frogs and tadpoles and insects.

What did you learn?

I learned I need taller rain boots and learned that ponds contain lots of different creatures.

Why is this important?

So my feet don’t get wet and because ecosystems need to be diverse.

What was your favourite part?

Catching frogs.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Laura should come every time.

Reported by: Abigail

Glen Morris and Surrounding Area

Friday, May 29, 2026 by paul

DATE: MAY 27, 2026

LOCATION: GLEN MORRIS AND SURROUNDING AREA

LEADER: STEWART MACDONALD

On Wednesday, May 27th, 2026, a group of 16 Outdoor Enthusiasts, joined Stewart for a Fun excursion and were greeted with sunny skies and mild temperatures.

Our Group identified over 50 Species of birds, plus some mammal, turtle and amphibian sightings on this day. Below are some of the day’s highlights.

The Outing commenced at the Glen Morris Trailhead where the group departed to see the local colony of Cliff Swallows. During this walk, we were serenaded by Baltimore Orioles and spotted groups of Cedar Waxwings moving through the area.

Next, we carpooled to the “Glen Morris Pond” where we were graciously allowed by both adjoining property owners to park our vehicles as well as to observe from their property.

A nesting Pied-Billed Grebe was observed along with it’s mate which was diligently catching a meal for it’s partner. Wonderful views were then seen of the Virginia Rail, after we were able to coax it out of the weeds to say Hello to us! There was an active Common Gallinule nest as well in the Pond, but although we did not see one of the Gallinule’s on it’s nest, we had good views of one of them in the Pond.

A large family of Wood Ducks was observed, along with a Female Hooded Merganser. A hungry Muskrat entertained us while having a meal.

We then proceeded to the residence of Ellen and Jerry Horak (extraordinary birders in their own right!) for a bathroom break, which also allowed us to observe their feeders, which attracted Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds and Baltimore Orioles.

The next stop on our journey was the Grass Lake area and the surrounding grassland habitat. The Group was able to spot Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow and Eastern Bluebird during our walk. An active Osprey Nest was close by and the songs of Indigo Buntings filled the air during our stay there.

The Outing finished at the FWR Dickson Wilderness Area. As it was mid-day and quite warm, the bird activity had slowed down. Sightings of Swamp Sparrow and Great Crested Flycatcher were notable.

After attempts to attract one of the local Tufted Titmice by the Group were unsuccessful, some departed and others stayed behind to enjoy their lunches. And this is where birding can provide some surprises!

A Tufted Titmouse was spotted at the far end of the Parking Lot by one of our group at his vehicle. Rushing over to that spot, those that remained tried to attract it, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the original spotter (Our Bird Whisperer of the day) went to the other side of the parking lot, to enjoy his lunch followed closely by the Leader. The said Titmouse then came within a few feet of our “Bird Whisperer” and wanted to have some of his lunch (at least from where I was standing). The Leader then called the remainder of the Group over who then had excellent views of one of our target birds of the day!

Thanks to our photographers (Dave and Jim) and Lisa for helping with the Blue Tooth calls and to all of the participants for a great day in the Outdoors.

City of Waterloo To Purchase Laurel Creek Nature Centre Lands

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 by paul

Some good news!

The City of Waterloo has agreed to purchase the Laurel Creek Nature Centre lands from the Grand River Conservation Authority. The city intends to maintain the property as publicly usable parkland and community green space while exploring opportunities for a portion of the property to be developed as an Indigenous gathering space.

This special property holds a place in the hearts of many WRN people – the outdoor educators, the teachers and school children who visited there, and the leaders, parents, teens and children of our WRN Kids and WRN Teens programs.

See the announcement on the city’s website at City of Waterloo and GRCA working together on future of Laurel Creek Nature Centre

Hullett Wildlife Area – Spring 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 by paul

On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, a group of WRN people visited Hullett Marsh, led by David Gascoigne and Curtiss MacDonald. Here are a few photos from that outing.

For the full report on the outing, with many more photos, see David’s blog at WRN Outing to Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area, Huron County, ON.

Carden Alvar

Monday, May 18, 2026Monday, May 18, 2026 by paul

DATE: MAY 16 & 17, 2026

LOCATION: CARDEN ALVAR and SURROUNDING AREA

LEADER: STEWART MACDONALD

On May 16 and 17, 2026, a group of 29 Botany and Birding Enthusiasts descended upon the Carden Alvar, to experience the Outdoors. Mother Nature cooperated and we were met with sunny skies and warm temperatures throughout the weekend.

Led by our Experienced Guides, Susan, Mak, Eric, Ginny and the Author, we divided ourselves into 3 groups Saturday Morning…2 Birding Groups and 1 Botany Group.

Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening and Sunday morning Outings were dedicated to Birding, with some interesting Mammal sightings along the way!

During our weekend of Birding, Our Groups totalled 125 Different Species, including 22 Warbler Species. This included a sighting of the Endangered Loggerhead Shrike.

During the Saturday Outings, Our Dedicated Birders sighted many Warblers, including the Brilliant Coloured Blackburnian as well as Northern Parula. Wilson’s, Golden-Winged and Blue-Winged Warbler’s were also spotted. 2 Virginia Rails seen on Wylie Road entertained one of the groups to say the least!

Grassland Species, such as Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Upland Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe and Grasshopper Sparrow were welcome additions to Our Growing List.

Other Songbirds included, the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Northern Rough-Winged Swallow and Eastern Bluebird.

Our Group enjoyed a dinner at the Portage House Restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely meal and did a bird checklist, before our evening Bird Outing at Sedge Wren Marsh.

A # of visits to the Sedge Wren Marsh during the day, yielded Marsh Wren, Swamp Sparrow and Northern Harrier, amongst others.

Highlights of the visits to this Marsh included sightings of Sora Rail, American and Least Bittern, the latter being one of the most difficult Marsh birds to locate in my opinion.

A Beaver was spotted here as well and slapped it’s tail as a greeting to us.

Our evening concluded (well almost) by visiting a Chimney Swift roost and watching a few of these birds take shelter for the evening.

To top off the Saturday evening festivities, 2 of our attendees spotted a Moose on their drive back to their residence (kindly provided by Neil and Ann Gray). Fortunately, it was not spotted in front of their car while they were diving!

Sunday morning started out foggy and this delayed the start of the Bird Outing. Once the fog cleared, over 20 members of the group proceeded north of the Carden Alvar for some excellent birding in a forested area, which was quite a bit different than the Alvar.

During this sunny and warm Sunday Outing, numerous Warblers were spotted, including a Canada Warbler seen by a few of the participants. Other Species of note were Indigo Bunting, Golden-Winged, Blue Winged, and Bay-Breasted Warblers, Veery and Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, to name a few.

Many of our participants saw Life Birds on this weekend, which made the Outing even more rewarding for myself as the organizer and leader of the group.

Many thanks to our Guides and to Tom Regan for his photography!

I think it is safe to say that many fond memories of this Outing were taken away by our participants. Thanks to them for their enthusiasm and participation during this weekend.

Rondeau Park Outing – May 10, 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026Wednesday, May 13, 2026 by paul

On Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026, an enthusiastic group of Birders enjoyed a Really Excellent Day of Birding at Rondeau Provincial Park with Stewart MacDonald. Rondeau is located on the North Shore of Lake Erie, directly on the converging Atlantic and Mississippi Migratory Flyways.

The Group was greeted by sunny skies and comfortable temperatures, and were rewarded with sightings of 75 Different Species on the day! Highlights were between 15 and 20 Warbler Species and a few surprises along the way. The most notable thing about the day was the QUANTITY of birds per species which we identified. There were many spots where multiple species were present.

The Group started the day at “Warbler Way” and were rewarded with sightings of Ovenbird, Cape May and Blackburnian Warblers. Many of the Warblers were vocalizing, which made identification of them even more rewarding.

Strolling down Harrison Road, regular sightings of Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks and Baltimore Orioles were noted. Yellow and Yellow-Rumped Warbler sightings were numerous on the day. The calls of Northern House Wren and Northern Waterthrush were regularly heard.

The Group traversed Bennett Road spotting a Solitary Sandpiper in the wet woods, along with Black-Throated Blue, Black-Throated Green, Black-and-White Warbler Species and Northern Parula.

Retracing our path, we encountered a cooperative Male Scarlet Tanager and then headed for lunch.

Some of our Group had to leave before lunch and after lunch, the Group reconvened at the Park’s Visitor’s Center. A short walk to a friendly birder’s cottage, yielded Brown Thrasher and Eastern Kingbird. amongst other species.

Walking the Tulip Trail, the sighting of a Black-Crowned Night Heron perched in a tree was a surprise sighting. A Yellow-Throated Vireo was singing and identified by the group.

The other “surprise” on the Tulip Trail was the sighting of a Worm-Eating Warbler, one of the hardest to find Warblers in Ontario! This bird is a known “skulker” and very difficult to see, but it presented the group with lovely views for a prolonged period of time.

To finish the day, the remaining group went back to Bennett Road and saw the Beautiful Prothonotary Warbler, an Endangered bird in Ontario!

All in all, a great day of Birding, coupled with the lovely weather, made for a Memorable day in Rondeau Park. Thanks to Terry and Dave for their photography and to the whole group for their enthusiasm!

eBird and Merlin Training

Monday, May 18, 2026Friday, May 8, 2026 by paul

Min Min Tong and Barry Grant led two sessions on how to use the eBird and Merlin apps at Huron Natural Area. These photos (courtesy of Taijasa Jordan) are from the second session on Monday May 4, 2026.

WRN Kids – Earth Day Community Cleanup

Sunday, May 3, 2026 by paul

Earth Day Community Cleanup

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Our April outing was at Gzowski Park in Kitchener, and we cleaned up garbage for Earth Day! It was a warm wet spring day. We went around the park cleaning up garbage with little claws, buckets and bags. It was really fun! A community member saw us cleaning up and decided to help us. At the end there were prizes for who found the most garbage in different categories, and who found things in silly categories like “who traveled the furthest?” and “who found a shoe?”

We also saw 50 snails in the gardens. We found a really deep hole and we wondered who lived in it. It was a great park and it looked much better after we finished. It’s amazing what a difference 6 people can make.

Reported by: River

Long Point / Port Rowan – April 3, 2026

Monday, April 6, 2026 by paul

On April 3, 2026, 14 enthusiastic Birders joined Stewart Macdonald on this trip to Long Point/ Port Rowan and surrounding area, to search for Waterfowl, Raptors and Spring Migrants.

We were greeted by sunny skies, moderate winds and temperatures which reached the mid-teens. This was NOT typical weather conditions on the North Shore of Lake Erie in early April, but was a welcome change to rain and cold winds which are more the norm.

Our Group was rewarded with sightings of over 60 Different Species of Birds on the day.

We started the Outing at the headquarters of Birds Canada and viewed Waterfowl from the deck, which overlooks the pond. A sighting of an early Pied-Billed Grebe was the highlight. Many Tree Swallows were an early sign that Spring had arrived!

We then departed for a journey west of Port Rowan. Lee Brown Waterfowl Management Area was our first stop, where we observed several Waterfowl Species, including Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler and American Black Duck. Continuing our journey by car, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers were a fly-by species. Stops were made along the way, to view an active Bald Eagle nest, as well as numerous Gulls, including immature Great Black-Backed Gulls.

We continued our journey to the Long Point Causeway, and observed a late grouping of a few dozen Tundra Swans. Stopping at a viewing area on the Causeway, we “scoped” groups of Diving Ducks, which mostly included Lesser Scaup. Both Pied-Billed and Horned Grebes were found. Significant numbers of “Divers” seemed to have left the bay, perhaps due to the milder weather.

After a quick stop to walk some wetlands, we proceeded to the Old Cut Bird Banding Station. The group enjoyed watching some of the Bird Banding which commenced on April 1st. We then headed out for a walk in the Old Cut Woods as well as in the Long Point Provincial Park.

During our stay, we observed Eastern Towhee, Brown Thrasher. Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe as well as numerous Brown Creepers and Golden-Crowned Kinglets. Woodpeckers were also active, mainly Northern Flickers and some Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers.

We concluded our Outing by driving back to Port Rowan, to observe Waterfowl in the Port Rowan Bay and Wetlands. Numerous American Coots, both Species of Teal and American Wigeon were observed. An early Osprey was a delightful way to finish this pleasant and rewarding stay in the Port Rowan Area.

Thanks to all who joined us as well as those who provided photos of our 2026 visit to Long Point and Port Rowan.

WRN Kids – Unwanted House Guests

Saturday, April 4, 2026Saturday, April 4, 2026 by paul

Unwanted House Guests

Saturday, March 28, 2026

March’s outing was a presentation about humane wildlife removal by Ryan Rainville from Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. Spring is a busy time for wildlife removal as mother squirrels and raccoons search for the safest and coziest places to have their babies. Sometimes this is in our homes.

Racoons can bend metal and pop up fascia by wedging themselves in corners and pushing with their backs to access a house’s attic. Squirrels can chew their way in through plastic vents and rotting corners of a roof. Ryan showed us videos of baby racoons and squirrels hunkered down in attic insulation. He also showed us videos of the damage these animals can do to roofs, insulation, wires and wood.

Home owners often hear sounds in the attic and Skedaddle works like a detective to figure out how the animals got in and to find the babies. Then, they remove the babies and put them outside near the opening in a heated box. The entrance to the house is fitted with a one-way door so that the mother can get out if she is still hiding in the attic and then she can gather her babies and move them to a better location.

Raccoons and squirrels have multiple dens / nests that they can use. Both raccoons and squirrels are masters of finding food and shelter and that is why there are so many in cities.

When a bird builds a nest in a vent, the nest is removed along with eggs or chicks and a stronger vent cover is installed. The nest is put into a box using the old vent cover as an entrance and the box is mounted to the wall right near the original vent. The bird easily finds the nest and carries on raising their young. When they fledge, the box is removed.

Tips to keep wildlife outside of your home:

Keep your gutters clear to help keep your roof in good condition
Screen up brick vent holes to keep rodents out.
Install heavy gauge wire covers over vent holes.
Bird seed will attract mice and rats.

Call a professional to humanely remove the animal and do repairs to keep the animals out. Trapping an animal and relocating it doesn’t solve the problem. A new animal will just move in.

Reported by: Rachelle

WRN Kids – Snowshoeing

Saturday, March 7, 2026 by paul

Snowshoeing

Saturday, February 28, 2026

For our February outing, we went snowshoeing at rare Charitable Research Reserve. Lauren from rare led the outing and we were all excited to try snowshoeing!

We started out learning about snowshoes. The oldest known snowshoes are 3000 years old. Lauren showed us two styles of snowshoes – one that is long and pointy at the back that is used in deep snow in open areas and another that is shorter and rounder that is made for forest areas where you need to get around trees and other obstacles.

Snowshoes help you stay on top of deep snow by spreading out your weight so instead of all your weight being poked into the deep snow by your feet, it is spread out over a big snowshoe that doesn’t sink into the snow as far. The snowshoes we used had metal points on the bottom to grip the ice. It was very icy and slippery on the trail, and we would not have been able to walk in just our boots.

Walking on the icy trail was noisy, and Lauren remarked that while we might scare animals away with all the noise, if we look and listen, we can get clues about which animals live there. We spotted footprints that were made by squirrels and dogs. We decided that the prints were canine because we could see the claws. Feline claws are retractable and when they walk, the claws are not out so they don’t leave claw prints in the snow.

We passed through different tree areas and noticed the difference between a naturalized forest with different ages and stages of growth and a plantation style of forest where the trees were planted in rows. The plantation trees were all the same species and age. This results in fewer varieties of other plants and animals that can live there.

We saw a very funky looking dead tree that has a second life acting as a home for other species like woodpeckers, owls and fungus. Lauren told us that to find owls in the forest one tip is to look for holes or crevices in trees that face west as owls like to sunbathe in the afternoon sun.

By the end of the hike, we could all feel that walking in snowshoes takes more energy that walking in boots but less energy walking than walking in deep snow.

Reported by: Laura and Rachelle

WRN Kids – Bones!

Saturday, February 14, 2026 by paul

Bones!

Saturday, January 31, 2026

In January we went to RIM Park where the Eastside Library branch is. It was really really cold and snowy but we were inside for most of it this month!

We learned about bones! We built a skeleton and tried to identify skulls. Fraser taught us about animals that eat different things, and how it changes their skull and body.

Carnivores have sharp pointed teeth for tearing meat, herbivores have more flat teeth for grinding up plants. Rodents have two big teeth on the top and bottom at the front and then a space before their back teeth. Lagomorphs look a lot like rodents but they have two little teeth behind their big front teeth. Mostly rabbits and hares are lagomorphs, they aren’t rodents at all! Omnivores have both sharp and flat teeth because they eat both meat and plants, and their skulls can be tricky to identify.

It’s important to know how to identify bones you might find in the wild so you know what animals have been in your area and what predators you need to watch out for.

My favourite part was building the skeleton! It was really fun to try and figure out how all the bones connected and fit together. And I liked working in a team with my friends to do a bone puzzle.

Fraser was really nice and funny. I’m glad he came to teach us about animals bones and show us his collection. It was so cool!

Reported by: River

Afterwards a smaller group went outside to look for animal tracks in the snow. We found an extensive deer bedding area with lots of places where a deer had made their bed. We also found quite a bit of frozen deer scat.

WRN Kids – Maps at GeoTime Trail

Sunday, January 4, 2026 by paul

Maps at the GeoTime Trail

Saturday, November 29, 2025

On Saturday November 29 Nature Kids met at the GeoTime Trail in Waterloo. The weather was cold but sunny and there was lots of snow.

Nature Kids volunteer Laura talked to the group about maps and what kinds of things we might see on maps and how to orient ourselves on one. We did a short practice with a small map she had drawn of our immediate area, then Laura gave us a bigger map.

Laura had drawn a map of part of the GeoTime trail with landmarks like trees, rocks, signs and paths along with control points. The control points were cards posted on trees or stumps or rock walls and marked with different symbols.

Using the map, we headed out to find and record all twelve control points. The fresh deep snow made it more difficult to walk and the woods were beautiful. We recorded each point we found by drawing the symbol shown on posted cards.

Laura wasn’t sure if we would be able to hike to find all the points as the deep snow made walking more difficult and tiring, but we were up for the challenge. We found all 12 points! Many people were tired by the end.

This was a fun and challenging activity, and we learned about following a map.

Reported by: Rachelle

WRN Kids – Trail Trimming at SpruceHaven

Saturday, December 13, 2025 by paul

Trail Trimming at SpruceHaven

Saturday, December 13, 2025

WRN Teens had invited WRN Kids to join them in trimming trails at SpruceHaven. The day was overcast and the wind was cold out in the open spaces, but in the forest it was almost cozy. The snow was quite deep and Teens coordinator Anita definitely got her exercise while breaking trail at the head of our line.

At a couple of places Anita mounted a trail camera, to later see which animals might go by during the winter. She explained that animals like to use trails just like humans do, in order to conserve their energy.

Adults, Kids, and Teens all worked at trimming branches. It was hazardous work, because snow could get dumped down your neck at any time. Finally, when we were tired and had all the branches that we could carry, we headed back out from the woods.

Thanks go to Anita and the Teens group for inviting us. There will be houses with some attractive greenery displays during this holiday season.

Reported by: Paul