halton hills driving tour sixteen mile creek driving tour bronte creek driving tour birding and wildflower viewing fall colours - best picks
Birding and wildflower viewing Grab your binoculars or magnifying glass and have a great birding or flower-watching experience. Children often have fond memories of family walks in the woods where enthusiastic exploration resulted in the discovery of colourful spring blossoms or jewel-like birds flitting through the trees. They may not have known the names of the flowers or birds but it was a great find that felt like a treasure hunt. Today people of all ages and walks of life are recapturing this feeling by learning more about nature. Hobby botany and birdwatching are becoming popular pastimes that are great ways to learn about the natural world. Seeing wildflowers and birds in the Halton watershed is as easy and enjoyable as a stroll along Lake Ontario or a bike in a nearby park. Looking for and identifying  birds and blooms that are less common is more challenging. Ten birding hot spots and five great wildflower viewing areas are noted on the watershed map.  Nature Calls [Ruby-throated Hummingbird] The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Ontario’s smallest bird, is common in the Halton area.      The iridescent green bird with fiery red throat has amazing adaptations for extracting nectar, particularly its mastery of flight. The tiny birds hover while probing flowers with their large bills often moving quickly in all directions including backward.  Hummingbirds generally don’t sing but utter fine shrills and erratic squeaks when angry or frightened. Summer is the best time to see hummingbirds.

Tips [to enjoy your hike]
Participate in some of the guided walks and education programs at Crawford Lake and Mountsberg to learn more about birds and wildflowers.