Chirps and calls carry through the trees and across the fog-covered water at Hunter’s Bay.
“We can hear the birds all around us,” said Dale Wenger, a local naturalist and birder.
It’s early on a quiet Monday morning at Avery Beach Park in Huntsville, and Wenger is leading a small group on a birding walk, helping both beginners and seasoned birders spot movement in the branches and identify distinct calls.
What happens on a birding walk?
On June 2 at 6:30 a.m., the two-hour guided walk on Hunter’s Bay Trail began.
Among the group of birders was Wenger’s neighbour, Janie Martin. She and her friend Bev Belanger started tagging along on his birding outings earlier this year.
“He’s so knowledgeable,” Martin said. “He’s always looking up at the trees and if you’re talking to him he’ll get sidetracked; he’ll just go, ‘Did you hear that?’ Then when describing where the birds are, he’s so explicit on what tree or bush they’re in.”
Just as Martin described, Wenger paused to point out a bird in the trees.
“There’s an American redstart. This is a young male,” he tells Martin, pointing to a nearby tree. “So if you look, Janie, come a little bit this way. He has really dark black in his eyes. If you see these first few branches right here in front of us, yes, so just follow them straight up and he’s about 10 feet below on a branch.”
Martin lifts her binoculars. “Oh, I see him,” she said.
For her, birding is more than a hobby — it’s a way to connect with Muskoka’s environment. It has also deepened her awareness of local ecology and the impact of human choices, she said.
Are birds in trouble?
“Not to ring the alarm bells, but there isn’t a bird species out there that isn’t declining,” Wenger said, attributing lower bird populations to two main factors: climate change and insect loss.
Warmer winters are pushing some species, like northern cardinals, farther north into areas like Muskoka. While some birds show short-term rebounds, long-term studies point to overall declines across nearly all species, he said.
Insect decline is the second major issue, according to Wenger. Pesticides — used both in agriculture and backyard mosquito control — are reducing insect populations and contaminating the ones that remain.
Birds face a double burden: there’s less food, and what’s left is often toxic.
“There is the minor nuisance of insects,” Wenger said. “But if people could just be a little bit more patient with them, they’re only around for two months.”
Wenger also raised concerns about pesticide runoff affecting local water quality. He said environmental stressors are compounding, hitting ecosystems from all sides.
Try using a DIY vinegar spray for bug control:
Wenger said strong vinegar mixes are “more gentle” on plants and less harmful to insects – and by extension, to the birds or other animals that eat them.
Because birds don’t ingest the spray directly, it’s unlikely to harm them. As a natural substance, vinegar is generally safe for humans, pets, and wildlife.
Why does Wenger lead these walks?
What started as a class in environmental studies quickly became an intense passion for Wenger. While in post-secondary, he took a course on birding and was “completely blown away.”
Birds, he said, help make environmental issues feel real. Once people begin noticing the changes in their own space, “they tend to have a better respect for the bigger picture,” Wenger said.
Wenger said birding doesn’t require remote wilderness. People don’t need to “drive two hours” to experience wildlife, he said — cedar waxwings, red-eyed vireos, chestnut-sided warblers, and many more species can be found close to home.
To guide his outings, Wenger uses two apps: Merlin Bird ID, which helps identify birds through photos or sounds, and eBird, which allows him to log sightings and contribute to a global database of bird observations.
He also keeps a Kenn Kaufman bird book on hand.
Does birding bring tourists to Muskoka?
According to Wenger, the answer is yes, birding absolutely brings visitors to the region.
“Not only have we had lots of locals, which is nice because they’re just learning more about their backyards, but then we have people from London, Niagara Falls, Toronto, and more,” he said.
In a recent campaign by Muskoka Tourism, funded in part by the District of Muskoka, which ran from April 12 to May 10, Wenger and other naturalists led guided birding events across the region.
“People are becoming interested in the environment — interested in birds,” Wenger said. “They get outside, which is great for their health. Then on top of that, we’re bringing people to Huntsville.”
The recent Birding in Muskoka: Nature Takes Flight campaign was held to attract visitors, boost overnight tourism in Muskoka, and encourage respect for nature.
Wenger said the birding series had more than 300 participants.
Next up, Wenger will be visiting the Huntsville Public Library for a talk on the joys of spotting birds in everyday spaces. An Introduction to Urban Bird Watching will cover the basics of birding and how residents can engage with wildlife close to home.
The session on August 19 will be followed by a guided walk the next week; registration is required.
