Bird Watching Toronto

Epic Birding Adventure This Sunday

**Hello Fellow Nature Lovers,** Are you ready for an unforgettable birding adventure? This is the perfect time of year to witness some of Ontario's most iconic birds, including the stunning **Common Loon**, majestic **Sandhill Cranes**, and soaring **Eagles**. As the migration season hits its peak, now is the chance to immerse yourself in this natural spectacle—because you never know what you’ll see until you're out there with us! Plus, the weather looks great! Join me for a guided birding excursion north of Barrie, where a diverse array of species awaits. Here’s a glimpse of what we expect to encounter: **Birds we’ll likely see:** * Common Loons * Sandhill Cranes * Bonaparte Gulls * Little Gulls (a rare treat!) * Great Blue Herons * American Kestrels * Red-tailed Hawks * ...and many more! **What's special this time of year?** It's the season when **Common Loons** gather in large numbers on **Kempenfelt Bay**, and **Sandhill Cranes** form spectacular flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands before they begin their migration south. Along with these, we’ll be keeping an eye out for birds of prey and several species of gulls, including **Great Black-backed Gulls** and the elusive **Little Gull**. Can you imagine witnessing over 100 **Common Loons** or 1,000 **Sandhill Cranes**? It’s a sight that every bird lover and photographer dreams of! Speaking of photography, this is the perfect opportunity to capture **Sandhill Cranes** in flight as they soar overhead, a must-see for anyone with a camera. We’ll also stop in Barrie to witness **Common Loons**, which gather in huge numbers, and there’s a chance to see a variety of ducks and gulls on their way to wintering grounds. Who knows what surprises we might spot out on the water? If we're lucky, a **Red-throated Loon or Pacific Loon** might make an appearance, adding an extra thrill to the day. **What to Expect:** * A full day of birding from 9:00 AM to approximately 5:00 PM * Multiple stops at key birding hotspots * A flexible itinerary that allows for spontaneous detours if rare species are reported We will meet at **Finch Station passenger pick-up at 8:45 AM** and depart promptly at **9:00 AM**. I can accommodate three guests in my vehicle, so if you’d like to join me, make sure to reserve your spot early! If you prefer to drive yourself or carpool, you’re welcome to follow along, and carpooling participants can coordinate to share gas costs. **Cost:** $99 for the professionally guided experience including transportation You can secure your spot by paying via PayPal or e-transfer to **torontonaturelovers@hotmail.com**. Please let me know once you’ve paid so I can confirm your spot on the trip. Don’t miss this chance to experience the magic of fall migration with us! **Spaces are limited, and it’s first-come, first-served** for a seat in my vehicle. I look forward to birding with you!

Private Photography Session: Canadian Raptor Conservancy

Underwater Rugby Practice and Game

**Welcome to our group! We hope to see you out at the pool soon.** **We have spare gear for you to try the game, so there is no need to buy anything before you try U/W Rugby. Please let us know your shoe size in advance to see can ensure we have fins to fit you. Just bring your swim suit and towel. And your first 2 practices are free!** **We also play Fridays 8:30-10pm at Riverdale Collegiate Institute pool throughout the school year.** \*Please note: This game requires swimming. While we do have lifeguards, you must be a competent swimmer and comfortable in the water in order to participate. **Looking forward to meeting you and seeing you at the pool,** **Gord**

Lion’s Head Lookout Hiking Trip

Underwater Rugby Practice and Game (Beginner's welcome)

**Welcome to our group! We hope to see you out at the pool soon. We play Fridays 8:30-10pm at Riverdale Collegiate Institute pool. We have lots of spare gear for you to try the game, so there is no need to buy anything before you try U/W Rugby. Just bring your suit and towel. And your first 2 practices are free!** \*Please note: This game requires swimming. While we do have lifeguards, you must be a competent swimmer and comfortable in the water in order to participate. **Enter the school through this door: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T1BP7DXur9QHK5aYo-s3vwmHu3MG9N55/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T1BP7DXur9QHK5aYo-s3vwmHu3MG9N55/view?usp=sharing)** **Directions to the pool:** **[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ggRqpd6UiCX1L-1Hbupg2GMclkbxNVx7/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ggRqpd6UiCX1L-1Hbupg2GMclkbxNVx7/view?usp=sharing)** **Looking forward to seeing you at the pool,** **Gord**

☕ Coffee, 🥐 Bakery Hopping & 🍂 Fall Colours: Midtown Toronto v6

☕ Coffee, 🥐 Bakery Hopping & 🍂 Fall Colours: Midtown Toronto v6 Join us for a relaxed afternoon of coffee, pastries, and fall colours as we explore Midtown Toronto! ☕🥐🍂 We’ll visit cafés and bakeries, stroll through leafy neighbourhood streets, and enjoy a stretch of the Beltline Trail along the way. 📅 **Date:** 24 Oct 2026 (Sat) ⏰ **Time:** 2:30PM 📍 **Meeting point:** Outside Eglinton Station, at Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue 🗺️ **Entire route:** [https://maps.app.goo.gl/E9PDDxtp4u4xTWLAA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/E9PDDxtp4u4xTWLAA) Our planned route will be: 1. 📍 **Eglinton Station** – [our meeting point](https://maps.app.goo.gl/rRt2jM3P8cqbCiFR8) 2. ☕ **Crosstown Coffee Bar** – our first coffee stop, tucked just off Eglinton on Highbourne Road 3. 🥐 **Goûter** – a French bakery offering croissants, pastries, and sweet treats 4. 🍂 **Forest Hill Road Park & the Beltline Trail** – a relaxed stroll to enjoy the trees and autumn scenery, continuing through Oriole Park 5. ☕ **Circles & Squares Bakery Café** – another stop for coffee and baked treats near Davisville 6. 🥖 **Thobors Bakery** – finish with French pastries and breads on Mount Pleasant Road 🚶 **Walking distance:** Approximately 4.6 km ⏳ **Walking time:** About **an hour,** plus time for café stops, photos, and enjoying the scenery. Allow around 2 hours for the full outing. Come for the coffee, the pastries, the fall colours, or simply a little company. Talk as much or as little as you like—there’s no pressure to socialize in any particular way. You’re welcome to join for part of the route or stay for the whole afternoon. Purchases are optional, and everyone pays for their own food and drinks. 🍁 Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Fall colour will depend on the weather and conditions on the day. Looking forward to a cozy autumn afternoon together! ☕🍂

🍂 Fall Walk: Rouge National Urban Park and Picnic🌳

# 🍂🌳 Fall Walk: Rouge National Urban Park 🌳🍁 ### A Real Hike, Beautiful Fall Colours & a Picnic Together Want to get out of the city without actually leaving Toronto? **Rouge National Urban Park** is Canada's only urban national park — and one of the most popular hikes we do. Once you get onto the trail, it can be hard to believe you're still in Toronto. Forest paths, rolling hills, changing leaves, and quiet stretches of wilderness make this feel much more like a trip outside the city than a walk through it. And fall is one of the best times to experience it. This is **a real hike**, though. There are some hills and ups and downs, so it isn't the best choice if you're looking for an easy, flat walk. But if you're up for the challenge, there's something satisfying about reaching the end knowing you did it together. And then we'll have a picnic. 🧺 📱 Don't forget to join our **WhatsApp Group – [CLICK HERE](https://chat.whatsapp.com/H59mSCbsAi018gYANrKAnc)** *** ## 🥾 What We'll Do We'll meet at **Don Mills Station** and take the 85C bus together toward Rouge National Urban Park. Once we arrive, we'll begin our hike through the park. Along the way we'll: * Hike through forest and open spaces 🌳 * Enjoy the fall colours 🍂 * Navigate the hills and changing terrain * Take in some beautiful views * Stop for a short break along the route * Finish at the Park's Welcome Centre * Have a **30–40 minute group picnic** afterward 🧺 The hike takes approximately **2½ hours**, plus a short break. Afterward, we'll take some time to relax, eat, and enjoy each other's company. *** ## 🍁 Fall Weather & Expectations This is a **moderately challenging hike**, not a casual stroll. There are hills, uneven sections, and some ups and downs, so good walking or hiking shoes are important. Please come prepared for typical fall weather and bring enough water for the hike. If you're comfortable walking for a couple of hours and handling some elevation changes, you'll be fine. If you're looking for something completely flat and easy, **this probably isn't the walk for you.** *** ## 🚌 Meetup Details ### 🚇 By TTC 📍 **Meetup Location:** Don Mills Station — on the platform for the **85C bus** 🫎 **Look for me in my Moose Hat!** ⏰ **Meetup Time:** **9:45 AM** 🚌 **Bus Leaves:** **10:06 AM sharp** I'll wait for the bus, but if you miss it, **you won't be able to join the group afterward.** **Early is on time. On time is late.** ### 🚗 By Car Parking is **not available at our TTC meeting point.** If you're driving, please park at the **Toronto Zoo** and walk to the **Park's Welcome Centre (the house)**. 🚗 **Car Meetup Time:** 11:00 AM We may be a few minutes late arriving, depending on the bus and traffic. *** ## 🧺 The Picnic After the hike, we'll have a **30–40 minute group picnic** at the end. Please bring something small to share — nothing too large or heavy. The goal is simply to have something to eat together after the hike. 🥪 Sandwiches 🍎 Fruit 🍪 Snacks 🥤 Drinks Whatever is easy to carry and share is perfect. *** ## 🧢 Meetup Details at a Glance 🥾 **Hike:** Approximately 2½ hours + short break 🧺 **Picnic:** 30–40 minutes 🏁 **End Point:** Park's Welcome Centre 💲 **Meetup Fee:** $5 cash or e-transfer 📧 **mathewmaclean@hotmail.com** *** ## 🎒 What to Bring 💧 Water 🥾 Good walking shoes or hiking shoes 🥪 A snack 🧺 Something small to share for the picnic 🧥 A fall jacket or layers *** ## 🌈 Who Is This For? This hike is great for: * People who enjoy a little challenge * Anyone who wants to explore Rouge National Urban Park * People who love fall colours 🍂 * Hikers looking for a social outing * Anyone comfortable walking hills and uneven terrain * People who want to meet others while getting outside This isn't the easiest walk we do. **But sometimes the harder walks are the ones you remember.** You're welcome to RSVP ahead of time or just show up on the day if you're unsure about your schedule. Sometimes things happen and events may need to be cancelled or changed, so please keep an eye on the event page for updates. 👤 **Organizer: Mathew** Questions? Post on the event wall or email **torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com** **Come for the hike.** **Stay for the picnic.** **Leave with a new connection — and maybe a new friend.** 🍂💛

🍂🌿 NEW FALL WALK: Discover Biidaasige Park 🌿🍂

# 🍂🌿 **NEW FALL WALK: Discover Biidaasige Park** 🌿🍂 ### A Brand-New Toronto Park, Fall Colours & Waterfront Trails We're trying something **new**! Join us for our first group walk to **Biidaasige Park**, one of the newest and most ambitious parks in Toronto. Opened as part of the massive transformation of the Port Lands, the park sits on **Ookwemin Minising**, Toronto's new island where the Don River meets Lake Ontario. This isn't a walk we've done before, which makes it a little more exciting. We'll spend much of the afternoon actually **exploring the park rather than rushing through it** — following its trails, enjoying the waterfront, taking in the fall scenery, and stopping along the way to appreciate the new landscape. The park is enormous, with more than **50 acres already open** and more sections being added as the Port Lands transformation continues. There are curated trails and paths, viewpoints, natural areas, and places to get down closer to the new Don River. And because we're doing this in the fall, we'll get to experience the park at a completely different time of year — cooler air, changing leaves, open skies, and fewer summer crowds. 🍂 We'll meet at the **Young Centre in the Distillery District** simply because it's an easy and convenient meeting point before we head toward the park. We won't be spending the day touring the Distillery District — **the park is the destination.** 📲 **Don't Forget to join our WhatsApp Group – [\[CLICK HERE!\]](http://xn--%5Bclick%20here!%5D(%20join%20our%20whatsapp%20group-cu832c:%20Click%20here%20to%20join)/)** *** ## 🚶‍♂️ **What We'll Do** We'll meet outside the **Young Centre for the Performing Arts** and make our way toward Biidaasige Park. Once we reach the park, we'll slow things down and spend about **90 minutes exploring the trails and waterfront**. Along the way we'll: * 🍂 Enjoy the fall colours * 🌿 Explore the park's trails and green spaces * 🌊 Walk along the new waterfront landscape * 📸 Stop for photos and scenic views * 🌳 Explore the natural areas around the new Don River * 🌆 Take in views toward the Toronto skyline and Toronto Islands * 🚶‍♂️ Enjoy plenty of time to walk and talk with the group The walk itself will be approximately **2 hours**, but we're not trying to race through it. **This is about experiencing the park.** It's our first time doing this walk, so we'll take our time and actually enjoy discovering what has been created here. *** ## 🌊 **Why Biidaasige Park?** Biidaasige Park is part of one of the biggest transformations Toronto has seen in decades. The new Don River was created as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection project, transforming former industrial land into a new river valley, wetlands, parkland and public spaces. The first phase of Biidaasige Park opened in July 2025. The park includes **accessible trails, cycling paths, river access, wetlands, viewpoints and waterfront promenades**, with views toward the Toronto Islands, Inner Harbour and skyline. And there's something particularly fun about visiting a place that is still **brand new**. We're not revisiting an old Toronto favourite. **We're discovering somewhere new together.** *** ## 🍺 **After the Walk: The Keating Channel Pub & Grill** After exploring the park, we'll head over to **The Keating Channel Pub & Grill** for lunch. The pub sits right on the Keating Channel and has been a local fixture in the area for more than 20 years. After years of Port Lands construction made the neighbourhood difficult to reach, the transformation of the area has brought new life and new visitors back to the waterfront. It's a nice way to finish the day: **a brand-new park followed by one of the neighbourhood's old survivors.** Lunch is optional, but everyone is welcome to join us. *** ## 🍂 **Fall Weather & Expectations** This is a **social urban walk**, not a difficult hike. We'll be walking for approximately two hours, including our time exploring the park, so you should be comfortable being on your feet for that length of time. Please dress for typical Toronto fall weather. The waterfront can be cooler and windier than other parts of the city, so a warm layer is a good idea. *** ## 🧢 **Meetup Details** 📍 **Meetup Location:** Outside the **Young Centre for the Performing Arts**, 50 Tank House Lane, in the Distillery District. Young Centre for the Performing Arts 🫎 **Look for me in my Moose Hat!** ⏰ **Meetup Time: 11:00 AM sharp** I will only wait **5 minutes**. **Early is on time. On time is late.** 🏁 **End Point:** The Keating Channel Pub & Grill *** ## 🎟️ **Meetup Fee** **$5 cash in person or e-transfer** 📧 **mathewmaclean@hotmail.com** This fee helps support the group and allows us to continue organizing walks and events throughout Toronto. *** ## 🎒 **What to Bring** 💧 Water 👟 Comfortable walking shoes 🥪 A snack 🧥 Weather-appropriate clothing 📸 Your phone or camera for photos *** ## 🌈 **Who Is This For?** This walk is great for: * People who enjoy discovering new places in Toronto * Anyone who likes parks and waterfront trails * People who want a relaxed social walk * Anyone interested in seeing Toronto's newest public spaces * People who enjoy exploring somewhere they've never been before * Anyone who wants to spend a fall day outside with good people The park may be new. **The idea is the same: come out, walk with us, and meet some people along the way.** *** 📲 **You're welcome to RSVP ahead of time — or just show up on the day if you're unsure about your schedule.** Sometimes things happen and events may need to be cancelled or changed, so please keep an eye on the event page for updates. 👤 **Organizer: Mathew** Questions? Post on the event wall or email: 📧 **torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com** **Come discover a new park.** **Stay for the fall colours.** **Stay a little longer for lunch and friendship.** 🍂🌿🍺

Hike Leaders’ Meeting at Marjan’s Trail ✅

Our hike leaders are getting together to share ideas, plan future hikes and adventures and help our community continue to grow. Thank you to all our volunteers and members for making every hike a great experience. 🥾🥾

An SD walk in the park

**An autumn service safari through Toronto's Vale of Avoca and Moore Park Ravine** We’ll meet at David A. Balfour Park and head through the Vale of Avoca and Moore Park Ravine. Along the way, we’ll introduce and try out a classic service design tool — the **[service safari](https://servicedesigntools.org/tools/service-safari)**[ ](https://servicedesigntools.org/tools/service-safari)— using the ravine as our real-world playground. We’ll walk, observe, and capture what we notice about how we find, navigate, and experience the place. Our timing is interesting too: The City of Toronto is [currently exploring improvements to the Vale of Avoca](https://haveyoursay.toronto.ca/vale-avoca-ravine-improvements). We’ll compare what we notice, spot patterns and see what questions and opportunities emerge. We’ll also borrow lightly from Design Council’s [Skills for Planet](https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/skills-for-planet/), widening our lens beyond our own experience to notice the environment around us. **No slides. No presentations. Just curious people, a beautiful fall walk, some service design in the wild and hopefully some good fall colours. 🍁** Bring: comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate layers + a charged phone. No service design experience required - curiosity is plenty. -- Bonus: After the walk, we’ll bring what we learn together into a short set of SDD field notes that we could share with the Vale of Avoca project team.

Bruce Peninsula Trip: Grotto & Hiking

Algonquin Park Hiking Tour