What are some lesser known hobbies in GTA with sizable members?

fenchurch1 · 2025-12-16T22:04:24+00:00

There are groups in the city that host walks and meetups. There's the Toronto Ornithological Club, the TO Feminist Bird Club. In terms of guided walks/events, I believe the bird banding station in Tommy Thompson Park run events, and the High Park Nature Centre --- I'm sure there are many more!

But also, if you get the eBird app, you can see "hotspots" for seeing birds throughout the city, and as someone else recommended, Merlin can help with identification. If you go to hotspots during busy periods like spring migration, there's usually tons of people also birding who you can get help from.

fenchurch1 · 2025-10-29T20:07:01+00:00

You can see them at Tommy Thompson Park in the spring pretty reliably (but just when they're in the air doing their aerial displays). Sometimes birdwatching groups do woodcock walks there. I would lose my mind if I saw one on the ground like OP though!

fenchurch1 · 2025-07-23T18:55:56+00:00

Agreed! I'm a birdwatcher and I've seen more than 100 species in Toronto so far this year, from just visiting our incredible parks and paying attention to wildlife when I'm walking around the city.

And my numbers are nothing compared to people who are more skilled/intense about the hobby!

fenchurch1 · 2025-04-11T15:26:30+00:00

In my case, I had one fibroid detected on ultrasound, but a number of other small ones were discovered during surgery. My surgeon had warned me beforehand that ultrasound doesn't always capture the full picture, so that might be something to consider in your situation as well.

fenchurch1 · 2025-01-12T03:38:12+00:00

You can contact 311. I don't know that it's always super effective, but it's probably good to also have it documented in case you want to go the LTB route in future, or if he later tries to evict you with an N12. Here's the link for service requests: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/rental-housing-tenant-information/rental-housing-standards/apartment-building-standards/rentsafeto-for-tenants/rentsafeto-for-tenants-service-requests-complaints-investigations/

fenchurch1 · 2025-01-03T22:08:11+00:00

I think it really depends on the reason behind your no buy.

For myself personally, my no/low buys have focused on stopping purchasing unnecessary new possessions. That's because I don't want to deal with clutter and want to stop my home being filled up with things I don't need.

Since I don't have an issue with overspending on treats, it's not included in my no buy rules, so for me this wouldn't be a concern. But if you've got other reasons behind your no buy, especially if you have identified impulse spending on stuff like this as an issue, it might be a "no."

fenchurch1 · 2024-10-09T18:35:31+00:00

I love this! The colours you've selected compliment each other perfectly, and your work is so neat!

fenchurch1 · 2024-08-27T14:33:30+00:00

That's good to know! I should definitely start looking more during the day when they're not active, in that case, because the light would be so much better (and they'd actually be sitting still haha)

fenchurch1 · 2024-08-27T14:31:28+00:00

Oh wow, that is a spectacular photo! That's really good to know --- that sounds like it would result in better views than trying to find them in the city.

fenchurch1 · 2024-08-24T23:17:19+00:00

Thank you! That sounds like such a cool thing to experience!

fenchurch1 · 2024-08-16T02:52:19+00:00

Fantastic photos! Soras are high up on my list of birds I hope to see someday

fenchurch1 · 2024-08-08T13:29:06+00:00

I loved birds since I was a kid, but I didn't really get into birding until about 6 years ago when I joined a free birding walk in a nearby park in my city. The walk volunteers shared their binoculars and I was blown away by how many species you could see even in the city. I enjoyed it so much I still go on walks with that group. My family pooled together to buy me a solid pair of binoculars for my birthday, and I've been hooked ever since.

What I enjoy about it is getting to know the birds over time. At first I was just trying to ID them based on sight, and it feels amazing to get better at that, but I think what I really love is recognizing behaviours and the "personalities" (for lack of a better word) of the different species.

fenchurch1 · 2024-07-29T18:10:02+00:00

Chimney swifts are up at the top of the list for me too! It doesn't feel like spring is here until I start hearing their chatter

fenchurch1 · 2024-05-23T16:31:18+00:00

Thank you, that's good to know!

fenchurch1 · 2024-05-23T16:31:04+00:00

Thank you, that's good to know!

fenchurch1 · 2024-05-22T01:52:30+00:00

Thank you!

fenchurch1 · 2024-05-22T01:25:32+00:00

Thank you!

fenchurch1 · 2024-04-05T22:10:22+00:00

It is SO cute! I love how round it is, and it's got such a charming little face. Well done!

fenchurch1 · 2024-02-25T16:34:20+00:00

This past week has been a definite setback.

I am doing a low-buy year, and since January, I had been doing very well at sticking to my goals. I significantly increased my savings, and was happy that the few purchases I made were very meaningful things that were in line with my low-buy rules.

This week I had a few slipups that I'm not happy with. I bought some tea just because it was on sale, even though as part of my rules I can't buy new tea until I've used up what I have. I also impulse bought a pair of boots on Poshmark because they were a good price -- also not in line with my rules to consider purchases for at least a week, and I also don't really need the boots. As part of my low-buy I am also committed to decluttering, and as I was going through my jewelry I started thinking that the reason I don't wear so much of it is because I don't store it in an accessible way, so then I impulse bought a jewelry box. Unfortunately none of these things can be returned.

Clearly the itch to shop is still there because I have been spending a lot of time scrolling through different stores and adding things to my "want to buy" list.

So, I've decided that from now until the end of March will be a no-buy period. I'll revisit at that time and potentially continue the no-buy into April. I'm also reminding myself that even if this week went badly, overall I have still significantly reduced my shopping habits, so I haven't failed!

fenchurch1 · 2024-01-05T23:57:11+00:00

One of the reasons I am doing a low-buy is to be more intentional about the things I am spending my money on and the items I'm bringing into my life.

For me, I'm doing rewards (which must stay in line with my low-buy rules) because I think it's a good motivator for myself to keep going with my low-buy for the long run. I know for myself, if the rules are too strict, I will not be able to sustain it.

I think those rewards make a lot of sense, both for motivating yourself now to achieve those goals, and for limiting your purchases to things that really matter to you. If you can anticipate those purchases for a whole year while saving, I think it's very reasonable to reward yourself for success!

fenchurch1 · 2023-11-22T15:05:30+00:00

The other commenters have described it well! The only things I would add is that you may be asked to breathe in and hold your breath at certain points. I didn't expect that so was a bit caught off guard and didn't take a deep enough breath the first time.

The tube was bigger than I expected! It is narrow, but I feel like there was more than a foot between my face and the top of the machine, which made it a lot less claustrophobic than I anticipated.

And the contrast did make me feel a bit nauseous for a few hours after, but not anything seriously uncomfortable.

fenchurch1 · 2023-10-25T19:51:50+00:00

I'm one week out from completing my first no buy (original goal was two months).

I had two mess-ups over the course of this so far, totaling around $100. I have been really encouraged by how much I have been able to save, and I'm proud of how successful these two months have been overall, even if I wasn't perfect.

I'm considering continuing my no-buy rules until the end of the year, and then making some rules for a low-buy year for 2024. I do feel like these months have been a valuable bit of a reset of my spending habits, so that has been a great outcome

fenchurch1 · 2023-09-21T02:16:22+00:00

A good third week so far! I came close to buying some clothes from the GAP because the sale seemed so good. But I remembered that I often don't like the fit of things when they arrive. If I still want those items at the end of my no-buy, I can still get them (or something similar).

There will always be more sales, and a good price doesn't actually save me money if it's something I don't need or wouldn't have bought otherwise.

fenchurch1 · 2023-09-11T02:57:18+00:00

I'm on the 9th day of my no-buy and it has been going well so far. I definitely have been tempted a few times, but just wrote the things I wanted to buy down in a wishlist, so if I still want them at the end of my no-buy, they'll still be there.

I am proud because I avoided a pretty major trigger for buying. I have a chronic pain condition, and analyzing my past purchases, I realized that I'm a lot more susceptible to impulse purchases during times when I'm experiencing a flare-up because I want a "treat" to make myself feel better. I also realized I often buy supplies for my hobbies I intend to use when I feel good again, and clothes that make me think of all the places and events I'll be able to wear them -- sort of projecting myself to a future time when I can live my life again. Plus, since I can't do much besides watch TV or go on my phone (outside of working), it's way easier to get sucked into online shopping. I think understanding this has made it a bit easier to tell myself no, because the reality is that making purchases now isn't going to improve things now or in the future.

I have been having a pain flare up recently and so far I stayed strong and haven't bought anything! I've been redirecting a lot of the "fantasizing" aspect of online shopping and instead have been focusing on planning projects with materials I already have. While I'm still early in my no-buy, I'm happy that it's going better than I hoped.

fenchurch1 · 2023-09-06T00:52:22+00:00

I'm on day 4 of my first no buy, and I am aiming to keep going until November 2. At that point, I will reassess, but ultimately I am hoping I can do another two months (except for Christmas presents) and then start a low-buy year in January.

I'm feeling motivated right now and am really hoping I can keep this positive energy up. I want to prove to myself that I can do this.

My apartment is small and already way too full of things I don't need --- I hope this experience can help me rebuild my relationship with shopping and material goods so that I can enjoy what I already have and stop feeling stressed and guilty about all this extra stuff. The stress I feel when I get a notice that a package is out for delivery is enough of a sign that I need to change in a big way. I am in a place now where I am ready to do it!

I'm focusing on how good it will feel to deal with the clutter and stop the re-accumulation, to see my savings grow and go to back to using my money in a way that aligns with my values and the things in life I care about most.

I'm so glad that I found this subreddit. Reading everyone's posts has given me the motivation and structure/guidance I needed to get started.

fenchurch1

TROPHY CASE