Toronto Birder
LightNews LightNews
banner
torontobirder.bsky.social
Toronto Birder
@torontobirder.bsky.social
35 followers 25 following 40 posts
Photographer. Torontonian. Easily distracted by birds.
Posts Replies Media Videos
torontobirder.bsky.social
Hairy Woodpecker (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, ON)

We met another Hairy Woodpecker; we see them all the time in the park, going about their business.

I am getting better at telling the Hairys from the Downys by the length of their bills.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Hairy Woodpecker, a small black and white woodpecker with a red patch on its head, clings to a tree.
September 2, 2026 at 6:32 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Mallard (Toronto Islands, August, 2026)

It was a hot day to be out, and I envied this juvenile Mallard, who was having a whale of a time on the pond.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a juvenile Mallard, a young duck with light brown feathers and dark brown spots.
August 9, 2026 at 3:42 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
House Sparrow (Toronto, Ontario, August 2026)

I just love House Sparrows. They have so much personality, and they have beautiful feather details.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
Close up photo of a House Sparrow, a small songbird.
August 5, 2026 at 2:20 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
I feel like the Baltimore Orioles have been a little harder to spot this year, but we've still seen several hanging around.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A female Baltimore Oriole, a light orange songbird, perches in a bush. A male Baltimore Oriole, a bright orange songbird, perches in a bush.
July 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Cedar Waxwing (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, Ontario)

Finding a good spot to watch the Waxwings has been one of the best things about this summer.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Cedar Waxwing, a tawny songbird with a yellow belly and yellow tail tips, perches on a branch.
July 27, 2026 at 3:06 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Toronto Botanical Gardens)

The TBG's pollinator garden is a fantastic place to watch for hummingbirds. Genuinely one of my favorite spots in Toronto.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, a tiny green and white bird, drinks nectar from a purple flower.
July 25, 2026 at 8:31 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
I want to go through life with the same energy as this House Sparrow, just going absolute goblin mode in the bird bath.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A House Sparrow, a small songbird, splashes in a bird bath.
July 24, 2026 at 7:18 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Cedar Waxwing (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, Ontario)

Sometimes the Waxwings are hard to see, because they tend to like the treetops, but there's a marshy spot by the bike path where we've seen them at ground level, and they are beautiful.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Cedar Waxwing, a tan songbird with a black eye mask, yellow tail tips, and red wingtips, perches on a branch.
July 23, 2026 at 4:10 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Hairy Woodpecker (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, Ontario)

We had a big haul of woodpeckers yesterday: a couple Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, and several Hairy Woodpeckers. This little fella did his best "bird on a stick" pose.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Hairy Woodpecker, a small perching bird, on a tree stump.
July 23, 2026 at 3:41 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Raccoon (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, Ontario)

Went looking for birds tonight and once again spotted the unofficial Toronto mascot. 🦝

#raccoons #photography
A raccoon sits in the fork of a tree.
July 23, 2026 at 12:45 AM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Northern Cardinal (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, ON)

Mrs. Cardinal helping herself to a useful looking twig!

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A female Northern Cardinal, a tawny red songbird, clutches a twig in her beak.
July 22, 2026 at 5:41 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Raccoons (Toronto Botanical Gardens, 2025)

There's a big tree at the TBG with several Baltimore Oriole nests in it, and I was watching for birds when I spotted a couple of the city's unofficial mascots instead. 🦝🦝

#raccoons #photography #naturephotography #animalphotography
A pair of raccoons high in the branches of a tree.
July 20, 2026 at 12:36 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Bee (Toronto Botanical Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, 2025)

I haven't been outside in the last couple days, because of the dangerous air quality, so no new bird friends to share.

In the meantime, here's a picture of bee doing a superhero landing from last year. 🐝

#bees #photography #naturephotography
A photo of a bee landing on a flower.
July 16, 2026 at 8:03 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Baltimore Orioles (Michigan, USA)

Mr. Oriole was hogging the jam feeder, and Mrs. Oriole wanted a turn. 😂

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A female Baltimore Oriole, a light orange songbird, makes noise at a male Baltimore Oriole, a black and orange songbird, at it flies away from a bird feeder.
July 14, 2026 at 4:10 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Hairy Woodpecker (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, Ontario, 2026)

I love watching Woodpeckers at work. Taylor Creek is a great place to see them. We'll spot Hairy, Downy, and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers on the regular.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A female Hairy Woodpecker, a medium-sized, black-and-white bird, perches on a tree branch.
July 13, 2026 at 6:18 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Green Frog (Toronto, Ontario, June 2026)

Decidedly not a bird, but the marshy areas at Taylor Creek Park are absolutely swimming (pun mostly intended) with these frog friends. I had to look up how to ID them, since I'm not a frog expert. Their voices sound like a single banjo string being plucked.
Photo of a small Green Frog in a pond.
July 11, 2026 at 8:28 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Red-Tailed Hawk (Toronto, Ontario, July 2026)

If you've ever wondered what a Hawk looks like when it blinks, here's your answer!

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a Red-Tailed Hawk with its eyes open. A photo of a Red-Tailed Hawk blinking.
July 8, 2026 at 7:09 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Red-Tailed Hawk (Toronto, Ontario, July 2026)

We have several Red-Tailed Hawks who seem to live in our neighborhood, and I spotted this one perched on a roof. Evaporative cooling is one way birds cope with heat, hence the dignified expression.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a Red-Tailed Hawk.
July 8, 2026 at 7:06 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
House Finch (Toronto, Ontario, May 2026)

Another bird that I think doesn't get enough love because of how ubiquitous they can be. I have so much affection for House Finches. They used to perch on our apartment balcony and sing in the mornings.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A House Finch, a small songbird with a reddish head and breast, and brown spots and streaks, perches on a branch.
July 3, 2026 at 11:18 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
House Sparrows (Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, June 2026)

House Sparrows are so ubiquitous, it's easy to overlook them. But when you get close, they are beautiful, with wonderful colour details.

Female in the first photo, juvenile in the second.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a female House Sparrow, a small, brown songbird. A photo of a juvenile House Sparrow, a small, brown songbird.
July 2, 2026 at 9:38 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
There has been an absolute explosion of caterpillars in Taylor Creek Park this past week, and the birds are treating it like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Spotted a Northern Cardinal feeding a caterpillar to a fledgling.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Northern Cardinal, a red songbird, with a caterpillar in its beak. The Northern Cardinal offers the caterpillar to a fledgling, which has its beak open. The fledgling takes the food from the Cardinal. The Northern Cardinal looks very satisfied with its parenting, as the fledgling eats the caterpillar.
June 29, 2026 at 8:05 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
99.9% of the time, Cedar Waxwings look very sleek, and then 0.1% of the time they look like poofy boys.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A Cedar Waxwing, a songbird, looking very sleek. A Cedar Waxwing, a songbird, looking very puffed-out.
June 28, 2026 at 6:01 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Also, this Cardinal looked at me like Andy Rooney. 😂

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a female Northern Cardinal, a songbird, looking askance. A photo of Andy Rooney, not a songbird, looking askance.
June 26, 2026 at 9:24 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Cedar Waxwing (Taylor Creek Park, Toronto, Ontario, June 2026)

Waxwings get their name from those little red patches on their wingtips, which make it look like they were dipped in sealing wax.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a Cedar Waxwing, a buff-colored bird with a black eye mask, red wingtips, and yellow tail tips, perched on a branch.
June 26, 2026 at 8:33 PM
torontobirder.bsky.social
Northern Mockingbird (Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, DC, March 2025)

Mockingbirds helped spark my love of birding. We used to hear them outside our DC apartment performing remarkable impressions of car alarms, as well as imitating other birds.

#birds #birdwatching #photography #birdphotography
A photo of a Northern Mockingbird, a gray-and-white songbird, perched on the branch of a flowering cherry tree, surrounded by small pink blossoms.
June 24, 2026 at 7:02 PM