Past Outings

September 2021 – August 2022

Sunday, September 12, 2021 @ 8 am
Birding Outing to Alderville Black Oak Savanna. Leader: Roger Frost
During this morning outing, we will look for fall migrants,including warblers, sparrows, and bluebirds. Because of COVID-19 restrictions required by ABOS, this outing is limited to 10 participants.

Sunday, October 3, 2021 Postponed to Sunday, October 23, 2021 due to rain
Birding outing for the absolute beginner. Leader: Elizabeth Kellogg
We will discuss using binoculars and field guides and practise bird identification. Elizabeth will arrange a couple of other experienced birders to help with the outing. Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot at the west end of the A.K. Sculthorpe Marsh in Port Hope. This will be a morning outing. Directions: From Peter St. in Port Hope, turn south on Hope St.S., then east on Lake St. to the parking lot.

Sunday, November 7, 2021
Birding outing along the lakeshore east of Cobourg. Leaders: Margaret Bain and Richard Pope.
Meet at the west parking lot (off Hibernia St.) at Cobourg Harbour at 8 a.m. We will search for loons, grebe, waterfowl, gulls and raptors. This outing may take us as far as the Brighton waterfront. Dress for the weather and bring a lunch.

Sunday, January 23, 2022
Birding Outing to Port Hope Waterfront and Lakeshore Road west of Port Hope. Leader: Roger Frost
Join Roger on this morning outing to look for waterfowl, gulls and raptors, as well as Snow Buntings and other winter birds. Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot on the west side of the A.K. Sculthorpe Woodland Marsh. Remember to dress warmly!

Sunday, February 20, 2022
Chase Rare Birds. Leader: Roger Frost
Join Roger on this late winter outing to chase the rarest bird(s) within two hours of Cobourg. Meet at the Cobourg Harbour at 8 a.m. – bring lunch and dress for the weather.

Sunday, March 20, 2022
Brighton Waterfront. Leader: Roger Frost
We will search for waterfowl and other spring migrants. Meet at Cobourg Harbour at the parking lot off Hibernia Street at 8 a.m. – dress warmly and bring lunch, water and snacks.

Sunday, April 24, 2022
Nature Walk to Ontario Parks/NCC Burnley-Carmel Nature Reserve. Leader: Roger Frost
We will search the property for early migrants and other signs of spring. Meet at the entrance to the reserve at 8:00 a.m. for this morning-only outing. Take County Rd. 45 north to County Rd. 29. Follow 29 east through the village of Burnley, where the road turns south. Follow 29 south to the stop sign, turn right (west) onto Pratt Road, and continue to the gate at the property entrance. This is a moderately difficult walk with lots of poison ivy, so wear suitable clothing and footwear.

Sunday, May 15, 2022
Spring Birding Outing. Leader: Roger Frost
Meet at 8:00 a.m. for this outing. We are invited to the home of WBFN member, Marina Scassa. Her three-acre property at 104 Victor Rd., north of Centreton, produces a wide variety of birds. For anyone wishing to go further afield, Peter’s Woods is just 1 km away; Caradoc Road offers some good birding; Jewell Road, with its fields and marsh, can produce an additional variety of species; and McDonald Road can also be a good stretch for birding. Some refreshments will be provided.
Directions: From Cobourg, take Cty. Rd. 45 north to Cty. Rd. 22 (Centreton Rd.). Once at Centreton, turn north onto McDonald Rd. and drive north to Victor Rd. If you have mobility issues, come up the driveway and park at the house. For those who don’t mind the stroll, park safely along the side of Victor Rd, and walk up.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022, 8:00 p.m.
Sunset Birding. Leaders: Richard Girardin and Leslie Abram
Nature Walk at the Lone Pine Marsh Braham Nature Reserve. Join Richard Girardin and Leslie Abram for this special outing to watch and listen for birds, frogs, and many other creatures of the marsh as the sun goes down. Please Preregister by e-mail to Leslieabram@gmail.com
Directions: From Cobourg/Port Hope, travel east on 401 to the Big Apple Exit. Turn Left (north) onto County Road 25 and proceed to Dundonald Rd (Tubbs Corners). Turn right (east) on Dundonald and proceed to Maple Grove Road. Turn left (north) and proceed to Lone Pine Marsh Parking Lot.

Sunday, June 26, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
Summer Wildflowers. Leader: Paulette Hebert
Look for and learn about summer wildflowers on this outing at the Wilkinson Tract at 424 Pogue Rd. in Colborne. This is a Northumberland Land Trust property. Directions: From Cobourg/Port Hope, travel east on Hwy. 401 to the Colborne exit, head north to Dundonald Rd. (Tubb’s Corner), turn east to Pogue Rd., then turn north (left) and on to the Wilkinson Tract.

Sunday, July 10, 2022, 9:30 a.m.
Butterfly Outing. Leader: Roger Frost
We will search various roadside habitats for a wide range of butterfly species. Meet at the corner of Loyalist and Anderson Roads (Port Hope Ward 2) for this morning outing. Directions: From Port Hope, take Cty. Rd. 2 to Welcome. At Welcome, continue north on Cty. Rd. 10 to the 4th Line. Turn left (west) on the 4th Line and continue to Anderson Rd. Turn right(north) on Anderson Rd. and continue to the end where it intersects with Loyalist Rd.

Saturday, August 13, 2022, 9:00 a.m.
Invasive Species. Leader: Elizabeth Kellogg
We will find out how to identify some non-native invasive species, discuss why they are a problem, and learn a little about what we can do to control them. Meet at the parking area at the west end of the A.K. Sculthorpe Woodland Marsh. Directions: From Peter St. in Port Hope, turn south on Hope St. S. Turn east (left) onto Lake St. and continue to the parking lot.

September 2019 – August 2020

Sunday, September 22, 2019
Birding outing to Alderville Black Oak Savanna. Leader: Roger Frost.
We will be looking for fall migrant warblers, thrushes and sparrows. Prairie grasses will be at maximum height at this time of year. This will be a half day outing. Dress for the weather and bring water and snacks. Meet at Hwy. 45 and 401 car pool lot at 8 a.m. or at the Savanna Nature Centre at 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, October 20, 2019
Birding outing to the Lakeshore east of Cobourg. Leaders: Richard Pope & Margaret Bain.
We will search for loons, grebes, waterfowl, raptors and gulls. Meet at Cobourg Harbour at the foot of Hibernia St. at 8 a.m. Dress for the weather. This outing may extend a bit into the afternoon, so bring lunch.

Sunday, November 17, 2019
Birding outing to the Northumberland Forest. Leader: Roger Frost.
We will search for late fall migrants and perhaps winter finches. Meet at Hwy. 45 and 401 car pool lot at 8 a.m. or at Beagle Club Road parking area at 8:30 a.m. This will be a half day outing. Dress for the weather. Bring water and snacks.

November 30 – Peter’s Woods closing

Port Hope-Cobourg Christmas Bird Count – December 14, 2019
Rice Lake Plains Christmas Bird Count – January 1, 2020

Sunday, January 19, 2020
(this outing was cancelled due to weather and road conditions)
Birding outing to Amherst Island. Leader: Katsu Sakuma.
Search the island for owls, hawks, waterfowl and other winter birds. Meet at Cty. Rd. 45 and 401 car pool lot at 7:45 a.m. or at Amherst Island ferry dock in Millhaven to catch the 9:30 a.m. ferry. We will have to leave Cty. Rd. 45 at 7:45a.m. sharp in order to catch the ferry. Fare is $9.00 per car, so car pooling is encouraged. Bring lunch/snacks, water, binoculars and spotting scopes. Dress warmly. This is an all day outing.

Sunday, February 9, 2020
Birding outing to Port Hope lakeshore. Leader: Roger Frost.
Meet at 8 a.m. at parking lot at west end of A.K. Sculthorpe Marsh, Lake Street, Port Hope. We will search the Port Hope waterfront and Lakeshore Rd. west of Port Hope for overwintering species. This will be a half day outing. Directions: From Peter Street, turn south at Hope St.S. Pass the railroad crossing, there is sharp left turn, which is Lake St. Follow Lake St. until another sharp left. The parking is on your right.

COVID-19 pandemic affected the balance of the 2019-2020 outing season. No further regular outings were held. Bird counts continued with participants following public health guidelines.

September 2018 – August 2019

Saturday, September 22, 2018, 11:00 a.m.
Guided tour of Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. Leader: Tim Tottenham.
Meet at car pool lot at Hwy. 401 and Cty. Rd. 28 in Port Hope at 9:45 a.m. The OTCC is located at 1434 Chemong Rd. in the northwest section of Peterborough.

Sunday, October 14, 2018, 9:00 a.m.
A Fall Colours Walk at the Ballyduff Trails and Fleetwood Creek Natural Area. Leader: Don McLeod.
This will be a joint outing between WBFN and Peterborough Field Naturalists (PFN). We will be looking for birds plus wildlife tracks and sign. Fall colours will be a treat and the trails are beautiful. The Ballyduff Trails are on private property owned by Ralph McKim and Jean Garsonnin. They have generously offered their trails to the public through an agreement with the Kawartha Land Trust: https://kawarthalandtrust.org/?post_type=property&p=103. The nearby Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is managed by Kawartha Conservation.
Meet at the public parking lot on Phillips Rd, Port Hope at 8:00 a.m. From the parking lot, it is about a 45 minute drive to the outing location. We plan to meet the PFN folks around 9 a.m. at the Ballyduff Trails location: https://goo.gl/maps/7cmhgeMD6Ty
Optional items to bring include a packed lunch, binoculars and camera. If room permits, picnic blankets or lawn chairs would be helpful. Weather cooperating, we will have a picnic lunch after the walk. Accessibility: Moderate. There is some uphill walking.

Sunday, November 4, 2018
Clive Goodwin Memorial Bird Outing. Leader: Roger Frost.
We will look for migrant raptors and water birds in Cobourg Harbour and east of Cobourg where Clive often birded. Meet at Cobourg Harbour at 8 a.m. (Please note that this is the first day of Standard Time.) Dress for the weather, bring water and lunch. Outing should end in the early afternoon.

Sunday, January 20, 2019
Bird Feeder Tour. Leader: Elizabeth Kellogg.
Meet at car pool lot at Cty. Rd. 45 and Hwy. 401 at 8:30 a.m. We will visit several of our members’ feeders. This could be quite an exciting tour if the winter finches settle in for the season. This will be a morning outing, ending with soup at the home of Tom and Jennie Jackman.

Sunday, February 24, 2019
Birding outing to Amherst Island. Leader: Katsu Sakuma.
Search the island for owls, hawks, waterfowl and other winter birds. Meet at Cty. Rd. 45 and 401 car pool lot at 7:45 a.m. or at Amherst Island ferry dock in Millhaven to catch the 9:30 a.m. ferry. We will have to leave Cty. Rd. 45 at 7:45 a.m. sharp in order to catch the ferry. Fare is $9.00 per car, so car pooling is encouraged. Bring lunch/snacks, water, binoculars and spotting scopes. Dress warmly. This is an all day outing.

Sunday, March 24, 2019
Local Waterfowl Outing. Leader: Roger Frost.
Meet at Cobourg Harbour at 8:30 a.m. We will likely search the Rice Lake Shore and Garden Hill Conservation Area for migrant ducks, geese and swans. This will be a half day outing.

Sunday, April 7, 2019
Outing to Nature Conservancy of Canada Brighton Wetland Property. Leader: Amanda Tracey, Coordinator, Conservation Biology, Central Ontario-East, Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Come for a tour of this new NCC property. Amanda advised that rubber boots would probably be necessary. Meet at 8 a.m. at the car pool lot at Hwy. 45 and 401 or at the Gosport boat launch at 9 a.m. Gosport boat launch is at the east end of Price St.E. in Gosport (south of Brighton). This will be a half day outing.

Sunday, May 5, 2019
Nature walk at Laurie Lawson Outdoor Education Centre. Leader: Mark Rupke.
Meet at 1 p.m. at the Laurie Lawson Outdoor Environment Centre, 8000 Telephone Road, Cobourg. Come and explore this Northumberland Land Trust property. This will be a half day outing. Members from the Peterborough Field Naturalists have also been invited to attend.

Saturday, May 18, 2019
Botany outing to Peter’s Woods. Leaders: Eleanor Sartisohn and Paulette Hebert.
Meet at Peter’s Woods at 1 p.m. The walk will focus on some of the spring ephemerals like Jack-in-the-pulpit, Canada mayflower and marsh marigolds as well as early summer bloomers like may apples, Canada anemones, and avens. We will provide hints for identifying flowers while enjoying the splendor of the old growth forest.
Directions: From Cobourg, take Cty. Rd. 45 north to County Rd. 22 (Centreton Rd.). Turn east on 22 to Centreton. Turn north at Centreton on McDonald Rd. Take McDonald Rd. north to Peter’s Woods. McDonald Rd. has a couple of curves. The entrance is on the east side and the sign is most visible approaching from the south.

Sunday, May 26, 2019
Birding and butterflying outing to Sheffield Conservation Area and Napanee Plain. Leaders: Rob Lonsberry and Roger Frost.
Sheffield Conservation Area has typical Canadian shield habitats. We will look for Prairie Warblers and other species associated with rock barrens. It will be a strenuous walk. This will be an all day outing. We will explore the Napanee Plain in the afternoon to look for Loggerhead Shrikes and other grassland birds. Bring lunch, water and insect repellent. Meet at County Rd. 45 and 401 car pool lot at 7 a.m. or at 8:45 at Sheffield CA.

Sunday, June 2, 2019
President’s Walk at Hazel Bird Nature Reserve. Leader: Val Deziel
The Nature Reserve was named after Hazel Bird (1920-2009) a well-known local naturalist and the recipient of many awards for her work in Northumberland County. The property was one of Hazel Bird’s favoured locations for her well-known bluebird trail. Hazel used to take WBFN for a walk here every June to see Eastern Bluebirds. There are three nest boxes on the property that, last year, had Bluebirds using them. Aside from trail work, Nature Conservancy Canada has several restoration projects in  progress. The walk will be led by Val Deziel, Restoration Technician for the Rice Lake Plains area of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Cty. Rd. 45/Hwy. 401 commuter parking lot for carpooling. Or meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve: 4639 Robson Road, Baltimore. This is the entrance to the property, which starts at the farm gate and sign. Follow the lane to the field centre.

June 8 and 9, 2019
Northumberland Summer Bird Count. Contact Roger Frost at ekrf@eagle.ca or 905-885-9615.

Sunday, June 23
Port Hope Urban Tree Tour. Leader: Gina Brouwer.
The tree tour will meet on Town Hall back lawn on Sunday, June 23^rd at 1:30 pm. It will be an approximately 2 hour walking tour in partnership with the Tree Advisory Committee’s Trees of Distinction Program.

Sunday, June 30
Butterfly Outing to Sandy Lake Road. Leader: Rod Lee.
Sandy Lake Road has perhaps the highest diversity of butterflies species in Ontario. At this date, we should be at the peak of butterfly activity. Meet at the Cty. Rd. 45 and 401 car pool lot at 7:30 a.m. or at the Tim Horton’s on Hwy. 7 in Havelock at 9 a.m.

Sunday, August 18
Bird Outing to Candlewick Woods. Leader: Roger Frost.
Directions: From Port Hope, take Lakeshore Rd. west of town to Dickinson Rd. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the red barn on the south side at this intersection. This will be a half day outing. Edit

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