Events held in 2013:

Our 5th Annual Xmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 15, 2013

We walked the trail in the morning from just South of the Black Creek Pioneer Village to Finch Avenue and back.

For route click on map below:
   
Birdwatching on a lovely winter's day after the first snow of the year. Goldfinches on the tree near the start of the trail.
   

We saw 286 birds belonging to 16 species:
  • American Robin - 6
  • Canada Goose - 98
  • Red Tailed Hawk - 2
  • Ring Billed Gull - 3
  • Rock Pigeon - 66
  • Downy Woodpecker - 3
  • Slate Coloured Junco- 3
  • Bluejay - 8
  • Black Capped Chickadee - 8
  • Northern Cardinal - 8
  • Mourning Dove - 2
  • American (common) Crow - 1
  • American Goldfinch - 14
  • House Sparrow - 3
  • House Finch - 1
  • European House Starling - 60
Results were submitted to the 89th Annual Toronto Christmas Bird Count for section 22 of Toronto.

See chart comparing all our previous Christmas Bird Counts

Fall colours along the Black Creek in 2013

   
   

2013 April 20 Clean up Event and Tree Planting

Four people cleaned up approximately 150 kg of trash at Cliff Street and Alliance in Black Creek Parklands East.
Tree Planting at Eglinton Flats: 7 people, 140 trees and shrubs, 10 cubic yards wood chip mulch.

BLACK CREEK EARTH DAY EVENT, Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Driftwood Creek / Ward 8 Spring Community Tree planting and Clean up.

Clean up 20-25 people picked up 250 kg trash along Driftwood creek and Driftwood PS parking lot.
Tree planting at Driftwood Creek with Councillor Perruza:

Bird house cleaning and repair near Black Creek Pioneer Village. 2013 March

Several of our members spent a lovely Saturday morning cleaning and repairing bird houses. This location has some of our oldest bird houses and many of them were damaged. About a third of them had old nests:
   
We occasionally have squatters in our bird houses: Bees and Wasps.
   

Events held in 2012:

Our 4th Annual Xmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 16, 2012

in the Black Creek Parklands North. Starting at 9:00 am we met at 5 Shoreham Dr. - the TRCA Head Office parking lot. Map and walked south towards Finch Ave, a distance of 1.8 km.
In order to coordinate with the Toronto chapter of The Audubon Society's 113th Christmas Bird Count we had to adjust the date of our scheduled bird walk along the Black Creek.
This is the same walk we have done for 3 years previously on Boxing Day.
For route click on map below:



We saw 122 birds belonging to 17 species:
  • Mallard - 2
  • Canada Goose - 16
  • Red Tailed Hawk - 2
  • Ring Billed Gull - 13
  • Rock Pigeon - 19
  • Downy Woodpecker - 1
  • Hairy Woodpecker - 2
  • Bluejay - 1
  • American Crow - 1
  • Black Capped Chickadee - 20
  • White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
  • Great Blue Heron - 1
  • Northern Cardinal - 6
  • Mourning Dove - 3
  • American Goldfinch - 7
  • House Sparrow - 3
  • European House Starling - 23
Results were submitted to the 88th Annual Toronto Christmas Bird Count for section 22 of Toronto.

Archbishop Romero C.S.S. Parking Lot turns Green

On Friday, November 2, 2012 students from Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School and Trees for Life, a newly formed urban tree coalition founded by Canada's favorite gardener, Mark Cullen, celebrated the transformation of a barren school parking lot and property into a thriving urban forest.

Picture credits: B. Gwilliams
Parking lot before planting
Parking lot after planting 		Contractor volunteers
Student volunteers


Landscape Ontario, Black Creek Conservation Project (BCCP), Toronto and Region Conservation, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Brookdale Treeland Nurseries, and the City of Toronto Urban Forestry Division have worked together with Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School to plant 82 large caliper trees, as part of a larger urban forestry initiative. The organization's goal is to double the tree canopy and enhance the urban forest in the Greater Toronto Area.

Staff from the BCCP developed the original project plans and over saw planting of the trees with Landscape Ontario volunteer contractors. The BCCP also worked with Romero students to complete the staking, mulching and tending of the trees after planting. Over the years to come, the BCCP will ensure that the trees are water and tended to ensure the development of a full canopy cover across the parking lot.

On National Forestry Day, September 26, 2012

400 students took part in a tree planting and environmental education programming hosted jointly by the Black Creek Conservation Project (BCCP) and City of Toronto Ward 8 Councilor Anthony Perruzza.

Picture credits: B. Gwilliams




Ward 8 in Toronto has less than 10% green space and only 17% canopy cover. With very little public green space area available to expand tree canopy cover. The Black creek Project and Councilor Perruzza office have been working together over the past 6 years with a wide range of environmental programs including tree planting, trash clean ups, habitat restoration, water conservation and education programs. These programs have been directed at both local schools and at community members with great success.

Students from Driftwood P.S., Derrydown P.S., Lamberton P.S., St. Charles Garnier C.E.S., C.W. Jeffrey's S.S. and Blacksmith P.S. planted added 900 new native trees and shrubs to the black creek ravine, including species such as burr oak, sugar maple, hackberry, elderberry and willow.

Some students were also involved in the placement of 25 toad abodes on site and the installation of 15 new bird nesting boxes. These habitat structures were previously assembled by youth at summer Boys & Girls clubs active in the area. The BCCP currently monitors almost 750 nesting boxes for birds, toads, solitary bees and/or bats.

In addition to the tree planting the students participated in a 'Furs & Skulls' education and awareness program put on by TRCA's Stewardship staff. Wood chips were donated by Bruce Tree Ltd. BCCP projects are supported and funded by the City of Toronto's Live Green Capital Fund, Environment Canada's EcoAction Program, Earth Day Canada - Sobey's Community Environmental Fund and by the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority.

Bird Walk at Smythe Park held on April 29, 2012


Seen the day before:
male Pilated Woodpecker

       

On our walk we saw:
  • Red Tailed Hawk
  • Ring Billed Gull
  • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • Canada Goose & goslings
  • Mallard
  • Wood Duck, male & female
  • Northern Flicker
  • Bluejay
  • American Robin
  • Cedar Waxwing
  • Mourning Dove
  • Rock Dove
  • Barn Swallow
  • Rough-winged Swallow
  • Common Grackle
  • Brown Headed Cowbird
  • Red Winged Blackbird
  • European Starling
  • Northern Cardinal
  • American Goldfinch
  • House Finch
  • Song Sparrow
  • White Throated Sparrow
  • House Sparrow
To browse earlier events click here