The songbirds are returning and bringing spring with them! Catch a bird-banding demonstration, take in a nature photography workshop, or sign on for a bird-themed hike with our park naturalists. If you love songbirds, you won’t want to miss the Ontario Parks spring birding festivals: Festival of Flight — May 4-19 Rondeau Provincial Park Visit the park … The post Spring birding festivals appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post comes from Eva Paleczny, learning and education specialist with Ontario Parks.  On my morning drive to work one day, I noticed a bunch of Mourning Doves sitting in a row along an electrical line. As I continued driving, I wondered why birds gather in groups like that. Are they being social? Is it … The post Discover birds with your kids appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post is from Justin Peter, who was a Natural Heritage Education Specialist at Algonquin Provincial Park from 2006 through 2013. Now a professional travel planner, Justin is a keen local and worldwide explorer, looking for birds everywhere he ventures. It’s tempting to say that winter’s not the best time to look at birds in our Ontario … The post A winter birding challenge appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

“The early bird gets the worm” usually makes us think of robins. But the real early bird isn’t Robin Red-Breast. It’s the Canada Jay, also known as the whiskeyjack or Gray Jay. Master of the “staycation” This northern bird is no fair-weather feathered friend, flying to the sunny south for the winter. Like the Blue … The post Canada Jays: the real early birds appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post comes from Barb Rees, our Discovery Program and Marketing Specialist in the Northwest Zone of Ontario Parks. Winter is a great time to watch for woodpeckers. Why? Simply because there are less leaves on trees making most birds more visible. Typically, there are also more birdfeeders placed out in the winter than the summer … The post Woodpeckers 101 appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post comes from Cortney LeGros, the Healthy Parks Healthy People coordinator at Ontario Parks. The holiday season is steeped in tradition. No matter how you celebrate, there’s one scientific tradition that’s been around for over 120 years to help mark the holidays. For me, the holidays would not be complete without participating in at … The post Christmas Bird Count — keep the community science tradition going! appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post comes to us from David Bree, former Discovery Program Lead at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. Butterball was a bit of a miracle child. The way the year went, it was amazing that his egg was ever laid, let alone hatched. And he never should have flown. But, somehow, he did. To truly understand Butterball’s … The post Butterball’s story appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post comes from Bronte Creek Provincial Park Discovery Ranger Hannah Stockford and Darlington Provincial Park Piping Plover Student Jax Nasimok. Once upon a time, bird migration was a great mystery! Early ideas about migration by philosophers and scientists from hundreds of years ago were quite unusual. They varied from thinking birds hibernated in the mud … The post Tracking the mysteries of migration appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Today’s post comes from Mitch Kellar, a Discovery Leader at Bon Echo Provincial Park. Being a staff member at Bon Echo has given me a lot of incredible experiences: seeing the Mazinaw Rock at sunset, camping on Joeperry Lake, and a very memorable Kishkebus canoe trip, to name a few. Above all, my experiences with … The post The fastest animal in Bon Echo, Canada, and the world! appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more

Canada’s Boreal Forest Region stretches from the edge of the Yukon in the north, down and across the country all of the way to Newfoundland and Labrador. Ecologically rich and diverse, the boreal forest ecosystem captures the imagination with its towering trees, shimmering lakes, and breathtaking granite cliffs. It can be hard to choose where … The post 5 reasons to visit Nagagamisis Provincial Park appeared first on Parks Blog ..read more