You might have gathered from a few of my recent posts that I’m pretty into birds. It’s so much fun watching them in the wild, and once you learn how to identify different species by sight and by their calls, morning walks are never the same. I recently discovered regular birding (what birdwatchers sometimes call the act of… birdwatching) events at Mississauga’s Riverwood Conservancy, and you can bet that I’ve already registered for two upcoming mornings! I want to spend some time today talking about Riverwood’s Birding with the Experts events, and hopefully I can see some of you there sometime!
Riverwood is a lovely 150-acre park located right in the heart of Mississauga, and it really is a gem full of amazing nature in the middle of the urban landscape. The park has meadows, wetlands, glades, forests, and several hiking trails that make it a great place to visit no matter what time of year it is. Over 160 bird species have been observed in the park, and that’s not even mentioning the several mammals and amphibians you can spot throughout the year. The Riverwood Conservancy is a charitable organization that has its base in the park, and they create accessible programming for the community that focuses on incorporating nature into our everyday lives.
Luc Fazio and Dan Salisbury are two expert birds who work with the Riverwood Conservancy to help put on Birding with the Experts events in the winter and spring, so that visitors can see everything from waterfowl to migratory birds that are only in Mississauga during very specific periods. If you know anything about birds, you’ll know that the best time to go out and look at them is really early in the morning. Winter birding hikes usually start at 8:30 in the morning, and because the Riverwood park is a bit icy at the moment, this week’s (and the next hike!) is taking place at J.C. Saddington Park on 53 Lake Street. The events are always free, though you are encouraged to bring your own binoculars because they don’t usually have extras. If you’d like to join this Saturday’s birding hike, or to find out more about future events, check out Riverwood’s website here.
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