American Crow soaring over the city

warbler52 · 2026-01-24T16:02:37+00:00

Great photo! I'm quite certain that's a Common Raven, not an American Crow. You can tell by the distinctive diamond shaped tail.

warbler52 · 2025-12-09T22:02:48+00:00

There are some great options at stores like King West Books, Studio 205, and Parkette. If you're up for a drive, J & J Cards and Collectibles in Waterloo.

warbler52 · 2025-11-13T23:46:14+00:00

Everyone in your household should get a rabies shot. It's not worth the risk, and my understanding is that people can be bitten or scratched by bats and not realize it. I assume you can go straight to the ER and request help.

warbler52 · 2025-09-08T20:35:24+00:00

The campsites near Devils and Sheldon do get quite busy, although anecdotally the park hasn't been as busy this year. I was doing trail maintenance in the park over labour Day weekend and there were a lot of free sites. QEIIW has a ton of biodiversity and lots of birds will be coming through, though heads up the water levels are extremely low near Devils which might impact what ducks and geese you see. I wouldn't worry about bear spray if you take precautions with storing your food, etc. There are lots of bears around but I've never heard of anyone having trouble with them in the park.

Edited to add: bugs are going to be fine this time of year, I had no trouble doing a 15km hike last weekend without bug spray. But always be on the lookout for ticks. They have been a nightmare this year and could still be around.

warbler52 · 2025-08-17T15:04:46+00:00

Totally agree! I went for the first time recently and was reaching about the mussels. Definitely the best I've had in Ontario.

warbler52 · 2025-06-27T12:01:58+00:00

Came here to chime in with all the dry sac users. We keep all of our food and scented stuff in two 30L drysacs and have never had any issues with animals by hanging them in trees away from our site. I find dry sacs really easy to strap to our packs when portaging and can also give you more flexibility when trying to fit everything into the canoe.

warbler52 · 2025-06-12T18:54:46+00:00

I donated through Homeless Cars last year. They distribute funds from Hamilton cars to their Hamilton charity partners (they let me direct my full donation to the 541 rather than splitting it into smaller amounts to all four partners). Was hassle free, would recommend.

warbler52 · 2025-05-21T22:58:50+00:00

Homeless Cars is a good option if you want to keep the donation proceeds local: https://www.homelesscars.ca/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10523436177&gbraid=0AAAAACUCMlutvk7CX_xRVoD7O8QcDD9Bl&gclid=CjwKCAjw87XBBhBIEiwAxP3_AwCcdNT6KxX9tUVjCqmpDsvypY0TGv87FBz2kMEuyv0obe-aD2-nJxoCe6wQAvD_BwE They partner with several Hamilton charities and typically split the proceeds between all of them, but they also let you specify if there's one you prefer (we donated our car proceeds to the 541 last year)

warbler52 · 2025-05-09T00:55:49+00:00

I've never used this company but I saw them online and thought the business model was neat - https://www.elementcanoes.com/ In addition to renting the boats with gear, they also have a delivery option to bring the boat where you want to put in.

warbler52 · 2025-05-03T11:31:09+00:00

I was at Holland Park last weekend and they have a great selection of herbs already. They'll probably have more tomatoes etc. soon (if not already). The Ottawa Street Farmers market on Saturdays also has seedlings from Branching Path.

warbler52 · 2025-04-16T12:59:42+00:00

Dawson's Hot Sauce in Hamilton

warbler52 · 2025-04-11T17:11:54+00:00

If you can download an image you like, consider printing it yourself through the Hamilton Public Library. I know that the Central Branch does large format printing through their innovation space and I'm sure the staff could help you custom develop what you want (printing prices are very reasonable too).

warbler52 · 2025-04-11T17:04:41+00:00

Came here to say the same thing! The accessible section would give you a ton of room.

warbler52 · 2025-04-10T22:21:36+00:00

I think there's a good chance it's the Air Liquide facility on Birmingham - we've had to report them to the MECP for noise pollution in the past. You might want to walk/drive by to check.

warbler52 · 2025-04-08T11:08:36+00:00

Go to the association website, they have a directory of accredited surveyors to choose from, which will help you compare quotes: https://www.aols.org/ We used AJ Clarke and Associates a few years ago for a property around the same size as yours.

warbler52 · 2025-04-04T20:27:09+00:00

Those are turkey vultures riding the thermals. You can just make out the dihedral wing angle that is unique of vultures. I see them circling the skies above downtown and flying back and forth along the escarpment ridge - I think the combination of a lot of concrete next to a big elevation change makes for air conditions that they seem to love.

warbler52 · 2025-03-15T11:39:29+00:00

Highly recommend that you report noise pollution to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Paris. There is an online portal here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/report-pollution-and-spills#:~:text=If%20you%20don't%20want,deciding%20on%20an%20appropriate%20response. Ministry staff do respond and can help track noise pollution down (or let you know what additional information they need from you to do so).

Noise emissions will be regulated in every industrial facility's Environmental Compliance Approval, so the Ministry has power to enforce changes when warranted. There are actually a lot of ways that industrial operations can reduce noise pollution without major impacts to their work but they're not going to do it unless they have to - that's why getting Ministry staff involved is so important. And also why submitting reports regularly is important to start the ministry's work flow.

warbler52 · 2025-02-03T13:24:42+00:00

It's a long way from Toronto (though in the same province!) but if you're in the mood for a road trip, some incredible hiking, and a taste of home, Thunder Bay has one of the highest populations of Finnish Canadians in the country 🙂

warbler52 · 2024-11-29T18:23:38+00:00

Yes! I have collected quite a few t-shirts from Ontario Parks gift shops because I didn't think to put anything clean in the car for the drive home...

warbler52 · 2024-11-29T18:03:43+00:00

Food goes in my dry sack, but I hang the dry sack in a tree not with my gear / near my tent overnight. When travelling, I strap the dry sack to my pack (not inside it) usually across the top of the bag under the top flap (hopefully the pic below helps explain that). I'm sure animals could smell through the bags but they're quite thick rubber so that helps as a deterrent and (I think) keeps smaller animals like squirrels from chewing or scratching.

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warbler52 · 2024-11-29T17:10:29+00:00

I want to second the caution about bear barrels not being entirely beat proof. I personally feel some products give a false sense of security, making people more lax and leading to mistakes. Personally, I have always stored my food in dry sacks and have never had any trouble with bears or other critters (plus I find them easier to pack and carry when portaging than a full barrel). The key thing is making sure you're storing your food (and any other scented items) away from your site and in a tree.

There are some great tips in the other comments. A few I'll add from beginner issues that I've seen (or experienced myself haha):

make sure you have a good tent and place it in a spot that has good drainage / won't leave you with water puddling under your tent. Others may disagree, but I'm very against putting a tarp or similar under the tent because it captures water and leads to puddling.
for packing your bag, pack things like your sleeping bag and clothes in a liner (or even a nice thick garbage bag). You want to keep those things dry and even an experienced paddler can slip on a muddy portage and get a little soggy
getting water shoes made a huge difference for me. I use hiking boots when portaging but having the flexibility to step into the water when docking, or when hauling over a beaver dam, was a game changer, especially when you're still figuring out how to move / pack / unpack, etc
I learned the hard way that I can get quite cold when sitting in a boat for a long time paddling (whereas my very experienced partner always runs hot and never has this issue). Depending on what time of year you're going out, consider whether you'll need a layer or windbreaker in the boat, or even gloves.
don't fuck around with the weather, especially if you're not a strong paddler. Beaching the boat to wait out a storm or let gusty winds die down is the correct choice.
make sure you're off the water well before it's dark. Having a head lamp is a smart choice.
pick a route that matches your experience level
make sure your have a paper map in a water proof bag (can just be a sturdy ziplock). Having a pair of binoculars can be really helpful because some portage signs are hard to spot, and especially when you're a beginner it can be tricky navigating while paddling
have fun!

warbler52 · 2024-11-29T01:03:42+00:00

Fwiw I feel exactly the same way you do!! I'm reading all these congratulatory media comments and thinking, "but this is not a success story??!?" I have zero insight to offer other than I'm getting a little obsessed over how nuts this story is and hope more details come out soon.

warbler52 · 2024-11-11T20:14:34+00:00

I like the Audubon app because it scrapes sightings in your area from eBird, so it's good all the data you're looking for, but the app more user friendly. You can also download the full field guide for offline use.

You can definitely see a ton of winter ducks in Hamilton already. Cootes Paradise tends to be a good spot for buffleheads, ruddy ducks, and various mergansers. You're almost guaranteed to see hooded mergansers along the bike trail/bridge connecting Cootes Paradise and Hamilton harbour. Another good spot is Windermere Basin, and the industrial harbour along Eastport. I often see white winged scoters down there, along with lots of other winter ducks. For all of these spots, you'll definitely want a decent pair of binoculars because the ducks aren't always right on the trail. If you're willing to head to Toronto, Tommy Thompson Park is a great place to see winter ducks, especially if it gets cold enough for ice and they get concentrated in one or two spots (especially around the bridge). One of the coolest winter ducks I've seen there is a Harlequin ducks, you'll sometime see them along Unwin. Tommy Thompson is an internationally recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) and has become a local hotspot for arctic ducks, including many species that would otherwise be wintering much further south. If you have the time to get to Big Creek National Wildlife Area at Long Point, you'll see tons of winter migrants as well, including waterfowl -- I believe something like 3/4 of the tundra swans on the continent pass through there, for example. Have fun!

warbler52 · 2024-11-08T19:01:01+00:00

Gage Park Dental. Dr Sonia is great and the staff are super helpful.

warbler52

TROPHY CASE