Event Reports Archives - Waterloo Region Nature

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.

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.

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.

Mill Race Trail – Nov 22, 2025

Monday, May 18, 2026Thursday, November 27, 2025 by paul

On Saturday, November 22, 2025, David Gascoigne led a group along the Mill Race Trail in St Jacobs. They had a number of birds eating out of their hands.

Here are a few birds (and mammals) from that walk.

For the full report on the outing with many more photos, see David’s blog at WRN Outing to the Mill Race, St. Jacobs, ON.

Long Point – Oct 25, 2025

Sunday, November 2, 2025Sunday, November 2, 2025 by paul

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, David Gascoigne and Miriam Bauman led a group to Long Point in search of birds. Some of the places they visited had a disappointing number of birds, but their luck improved towards the end.

Here are a few photos from that trip.

For the full report on the outing with many more photos, see David’s blog at WRN Outing to Long Point, Norfolk County, ON.

North Shore of Lake Ontario – September 2025

Saturday, October 4, 2025 by paul

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, David Gascoigne and Miriam Bauman led a group along the shore of Lake Ontario. They stopped off at DesJardins Canal, Urquart Butterfly Gardens, Grindstone Creek, LaSalle Park, Paletta Park, and Bronte Harbour. Here is a small sampling of photos from that outing.

For the full report on the outing with many more photos, see David’s blog at WRN Outing to the North Shore of Lake Ontario.

Birding in Waterloo – August 30, 2025

Saturday, September 13, 2025 by Shane Mulligan

HIGHLIGHTS OF AUGUST 30TH OUTING TO VARIOUS WATERLOO LOCATIONS

LEADER AND AUTHOR: STEWART MACDONALD

On Saturday August 30, 2025, a group of 13 enthusiastic participants enjoyed sunny skies and mild temperatures, on this Birding Outing led by the Author.

The target species were Wading Birds and Migrating Birds, and we visited 3 locations within the City of Waterloo.

The day started at the parking lot of the Stork Family Y/Harper Library Branch, where we immediately saw a juvenile Osprey, spending its last few days on its nest, before heading south for the winter.

We proceeded west from there to visit two local ponds where we hoped to see some wading birds and we were not disappointed! Two adult Black-Crowned Night Herons were spotted roosting in the Pond and the group had excellent looks from private property, where the author has had permission to enter with the group. In addition, a Merlin was spotted, along with a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Our visit to the second pond, yielded a reclusive Green Heron and a flyover of a female Belted Kingfisher. A Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was spotted by one of our participants as well. Numerous American Goldfinches filled the air with their song.

The group proceeded to Columbia Lake to find the 2 wading birds we wanted, and we were greeted by both a Great Egret and a Great Blue Heron together. The Lake had other Great Blues, as well as a Juvenile Black-Crowned. In addition, we were searching for migrating shorebirds, and found both Solitary and Spotted Sandpiper, some Lesser Yellowlegs and numerous Kildeer. An American Herring Gull, in the midst of many Ring-Billed Gulls was a good find by one of our participants.

Off to the Waterloo Rec Center we went as the starting point for walking in Waterloo Park. Our goal was to locate songbirds on the last leg of our day. We were entertained by soaring Red-Tailed Hawks as well as Turkey Vultures on our journey.

Finding fall migrating species (such as warblers) can be anywhere between feast or famine sometimes. We did find many local species including Downy Woodpecker, White-Breasted Nuthatch and Red-Bellied Woodpecker. A Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Red-Eyed Vireo and Warbling Vireo were pleasant additions to our list, but a feeding flock of migrating songbirds evaded us this year.

Over 40 species of birds were counted, including all 4 of our target wading birds, making for a lovely late summer bird outing for all concerned.

I would like to thank all the participants for their enthusiasm and to Dave Collins for his photographic expertise during our day.

Hoping to see everyone again in 2026!

F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness Area – May 28, 2025

Friday, June 6, 2025 by Shane Mulligan

Report: On May 28, 2025, leader Wayne Buck led a group of five field naturalists through the F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness Area. Here, a month prior, the GRCA had conducted a prescribed burn in the tallgrass prairie area. The burn was meant to knock back invasive plants and tree species that had invaded the area and to encourage the growth of native tallgrass species. A significant part of southern part of Waterloo Region was historically covered with tallgrass prairie plants.

Our little group walked the trails observing several early summer phenomena – flowering running strawberry bush, a delightful (starry?) bristle moss, early carrion flower (which evoked the name and wit of Larry Lamb), new shagbark hickory foliage, wild sarsaparilla, the not-so-familiar – even to Wayne – Maryland sanicle (Sanicula marilandica), and tall hairy agrimony (Agrimonia gryposepala) which this author thought was cinquefoil but as Wayne pointed out had additional leaves. We reached the burned area to find regeneration was coming along well, with plenty of asters and various grasses re-emerging in the verdant meadow.

The Carden Alvar – May 18-19, 2025

Tuesday, May 19, 2026Sunday, June 1, 2025 by Shane Mulligan

TITLE: CARDEN ALVAR EXCURSION

DATE: MAY 17-19, 2025

LEADER AND AUTHOR: STEWART MACDONALD

DAY ONE

On May 17, 2025, the “unofficial” Carden Alvar excursion commenced with Stewart, Neil Gray, and Neil’s friend Bob trekking to see if we could spot the endangered Loggerhead Shrike on Couchiching Conservancy property, which Stewart had permission to bird on. Although no Shrikes were seen by any of our group over the weekend on the Alvar, numerous other Carden “specialities” were seen, which will be noted below.

The visit to the property was highlighted by Stewart seeing a Short-Eared Owl cruising a farm property during the drive there. We then decided to drive the Alvar Road and Stewart also wanted to drive all the way down Wylie Road…top to bottom! A Grasshopper Sparrow gave wonderful looks during the drive!

Well…let’s just say that a flat tire on Wylie Road stopped further birding for that day. The ensuing adventure _—getting the tire changed, driving to Orillia in a thunderstorm to buy a new tire, and having Neil’s nephew change it for the author back at his local garage —will result in a future “tall tale” by the author of this report!

THANK YOU NEIL…who seems to know everyone in Carden.

DAY TWO

On Sunday May 18th, 35 people from the Waterloo Field Naturalists, Peterborough Field Naturalists, Carden Field Naturalists and special guests, gathered at the Kirkfield Locks for a great day of birding and botany exploration! The weather was overcast with cool winds, but turned into sunshine and pleasant temperatures later in the day!

Nine Botany lovers joined Susan Chow from Trent University for a morning walk, while 22 birding enthusiasts were split into two groups. The co-leaders for one group were Ellen and Jerry Horak and the co-leaders of the other group were Aaron Rusak and the author.

The birders went out for morning, afternoon and evening walks, while the botanists went out for a morning walk only. Later in the day 25 of the group attended a group dinner at Portage House Restaurant to share some stories and enjoy good food! The author went through a Carden Alvar checklist and the group in total had identified 99 Species of birds! One short of the magic 100…but one more day to go of course.

The standouts were many: Golden-Winged Warblers, Wilson’s Snipe, Black-billed Cuckoos, Marsh Wrens, Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Eastern Bluebirds, Upland Sandpipers, and others too many to mention!

The evening highlights included American Bitterns and vocalizing Virginia and Sora Rails as well as Least Bittern. We did not observe a Loggerhead Shrike on our outing, although we “bumped” into some others who did.

DAY THREE

On Monday morning, May 19, Neil escorted our group of birders (now about 15 of us) to properties just outside Carden Alvar, where songbirds were most numerous. The day was sunny and chilly (to start) and turned into a beautiful morning.

During our walks, the numbers of singing Golden-Winged Warblers was a highlight for all of us. Bird #100 was a vocalizing Wood Thrush. Other warblers, such as Chestnut-Sided and American Redstart, were very numerous. Another highlight was a pair of Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers going in and out of a nest hole in the forest. At the end of our morning, the glorious call of a Winter Wren wrapped up our adventure with 103 Species identified by the group over the weekend.

I wish to give special thanks to our exceptional guides:

Ellen and Jerry Horak and Aaron Rusak for their bird guiding on Sunday, as well as Susan Chow for leading our botanists on Sunday. A special thanks to Tom Regan for his outstanding photography, which creates lasting memories for us all.

And another shout out to both Ann and Neil Gray for their advice and assistance in helping me organize and deliver on my plans to make this weekend happen!

Birding at Glen Morris – May 22, 2025

Tuesday, May 19, 2026Friday, May 30, 2025 by Shane Mulligan

GLEN MORRIS AND NORTHERN BRANT COUNTY OUTING

DATE: THURSDAY MAY 22, 2025

LEADER: STEWART MACDONALD

On Thursday May 22, 2025, 10 determined participants braved the constant rain and cool temperatures with Stewart for a very rewarding day of birding. The outing was divided into 4 parts, which will be outlined below.

The outing commenced at the Glen Morris Trailhead where the group walked north along the trailhead to observe the colony of Cliff Swallows nesting underneath the Glen Morris bridge. During this short walk, 2 Ospreys were observed and numerous other swallows, including Bank and Barn Swallows, were identified.

We then car pooled to a pond, where Stewart was graciously given private property access by the owners, to park our vehicles and to bird along the pond adjacent to their properties.

We were rewarded with excellent sightings of Common Gallinule and American Coot. The Bird of the Day was the Virginia Rail and we sighted two different ones on the pond. We were provided with several different and very clear looks at this shy and reclusive wading bird. There were many happy faces once we departed.

The chilled group then proceeded to the lovely home of Jerry and Ellen Horak of Glen Morris who allowed us some shelter and opportunities to use their washroom. We enjoyed looking at the flora and fauna on their property and wish to THANK them for their generosity in sharing their home with us.

We then proceeded to Grass Lake and observed a pair of Sandhill Cranes. Walking alongside an unplowed field in a couple of different places, we observed both male and female Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlark, numerous vocalizing Savannah Sparrows and Eastern Bluebird.

The day wrapped up at F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness Area, where we identified some species of Warblers including Pine, Black-Throated Green and Blackburnian. In addition, Eastern Kingbird, Swamp Sparrow and Great-Crested Flycatcher were observed.

On the day, over 50 Species of Birds were identified, despite the difficult conditions. A big THANK YOU for everyone who braved the weather and were rewarded with some nice birding on this outing!

Birding at Rondeau Provincial Park – May 13, 2025

Friday, May 30, 2025Thursday, May 29, 2025 by Shane Mulligan

SPRING MIGRATION AT RONDEAU PROVINCIAL PARK

DATE: TUESDAY MAY 13, 2025

LEADER: STEWART MACDONALD

Partially sunny skies greeted 16 birding enthusiasts for a wonderful day of birding at Rondeau Provincial Park, despite reports of possible rain throughout the day.

We were rewarded with spotting over 65 Species of birds, including 5 Vireo species and 12 Warblers. Some members of our group recorded several “lifers” throughout the day, which produced some excitement.

The first lifer for some was a pair of Chimney Swifts that flew over the trail. High in the canopy, a Tennessee Warbler was spotted, and a singing Wood Thrush below. A beautiful male Indigo Bunting also made an appearance, singing its beautiful melody!

Off the group went to the “Pony Barn”, where a White-Eyed Vireo was spotted, which was another life species for some. Scarlet Tanagers, both male and female, made a showy appearance for us as well.

Then we proceeded to the Visitor’s Centre, and we were immediately serenaded by a Yellow-Throated Vireo, which was another lifer for some. A Brown Thrasher, not to be outdone by the Vireo, perched and sang its familiar “rhyming couplet” tune to our great delight!

We then hiked down the Tulip Trail and were rewarded with a singing Male Prothonotary Warbler, which allowed our group to take many photographs. This is an endangered species in Ontario and was another life bird for some.

The day ended with many of the group having a picnic lunch together, as we enjoyed the sunshine! A fun day of birding and enjoyable company made for a special day for all of us at Rondeau.