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Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)

CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis)

Daily, as one would expect on a tour of Canada, with plenty of goslings around as well.

MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor) [IN]

A few were seen beginning with a pair at the Blenheim sewage ponds. We also saw one on a nest near Long Point.

TRUMPETER SWAN (Cygnus buccinator) [I]

One of our final new birds, seen at a small roadside marsh in the Carden region. Though this is an introduced species here, the bird did not look out of place as the habitat here is very similar to their natural habitat in western Canada.

WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa)

Most of our birds were seen in flight as they winged away through the trees, giving their characteristic squealing calls. On Rondeau's Spicebush Trail, we did manage a scope view of a female perched in a distant dead tree.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Spatula discors)

A couple of males were among the many ducks at Hillman Marsh, 3 birds were seen at Blenheim sewage ponds, and a pair were at the Port Rowan Wetlands.

NORTHERN SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata)

Aside from a single male at Blenheim sewage ponds, our only ones were several at Hillman Marsh.

GADWALL (Mareca strepera)

Only at Hillman, where they were the most numerous duck, with about 20 feeding together in a group.

AMERICAN WIGEON (Mareca americana)

A lone drake was on the fringes of the Gadwall flock at Hillman on our first afternoon, then 8 or 9 of them on the second afternoon visit.

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos)

An everyday bird, though overall numbers weren't as high as we might have expected.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL (AMERICAN) (Anas crecca carolinensis)

Three pairs of these handsome small ducks were at Hillman on our first afternoon.

GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila)

The majority of the scaup seen on Lake Erie off of Point Pelee were this species, told primarily by the rounded head shape and cleaner white flanks. Our high count was about 40 birds on the second day.

LESSER SCAUP (Aythya affinis)

A couple were seen among the Greater Scaup off of Pelee, picked out by the distinctive peaked head shape. Elsewhere there were three birds, 2 drakes and a hen, on the Blenheim sewage ponds.

SURF SCOTER (Melanitta perspicillata)

A close flock of scaup near the tip at Pelee held a lone male which gave us some great scope views. Then as we walked further up the beach, we found a mixed flock of about 30 scoters--Surf and White-winged--for some more excellent scope studies.

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Melanitta deglandi)

Nice views of these in the mixed scoter flock made up for the distant ones seen by just a couple of folks on the previous day.

BUFFLEHEAD (Bucephala albeola)

A lone female at Hillman Marsh was a bit unexpected, 5 birds at the Blenheim Sewage ponds, and a male and 6 females at the Port Rowan Wetlands less so.

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator)

As usual at this time of year, there were loads of these ducks in the lake offshore of the tip. Interestingly, by the time I returned the following week, nearly all of them had moved on northwards (we saw just two!).

RUDDY DUCK (Oxyura jamaicensis)

A dozen of these gorgeous little ducks were one of the highlights of our visit to the Blenheim sewage ponds.

Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)

WILD TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo)

Seen daily in small numbers at Point Pelee. After being extirpated from Ontario in the early 1900's, turkeys were reintroduced to the province in 1984, and they've being doing well here ever since.

RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus) [*]

Three different birds were heard drumming in the Carden Plains region.

Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)

ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I]

A few, mainly after we'd left Point Pelee.

MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)

Very common, and seen in good numbers every day of the trip.

Cuculidae (Cuckoos)

BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

Don got a quick look at one at Backus Woods, the rest of us caught up with reasonable views of a couple of birds chasing each other around in the Carden region.

Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)

COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor)

A lone bird flying across the Big Creek Marsh at dusk during our evening walk was a nice surprise.

EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL (Antrostomus vociferus) [*]

Though we heard a bunch of these at St. Williams one night, we were unable to track any down for a look.

Apodidae (Swifts)

CHIMNEY SWIFT (Chaetura pelagica)

A few birds over the Tim Horton's at Blenheim, and a couple over the Blue Elephant in Simcoe were the only ones this trip.

Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus colubris)

The cool spring probably held these guys up from moving northwards, and there were fewer than usual this trip, though we did see a handful at Pelee and Rondeau.

Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)

VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)

Nice close views of a couple of calling birds in a roadside marsh in the Carden region.

SORA (Porzana carolina)

One of our final new birds of the trip, tallied at another roadside marsh near Orillia. I played a single whinny call and the bird immediately responded from the back of the marsh. One more call and it charged across the marsh towards us, winding up just a few yards away, where it gave us all some lovely views.

Gruidae (Cranes)

SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis)

When I first started this tour, it seems we rarely encountered these birds. Recently, though, I would be a little surprised to miss them entirely. On our first visit to Hillman Marsh, I passed one off as a heron as it was standing, uncranelike, in the middle of the water! Bill gets credit for spotting most of the subsequent birds, including a lovely pair with 2 colts (yes, that's the term for baby cranes) on the berm at Big Creek Marsh.

Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

BLACK-NECKED STILT (Himantopus mexicanus)

This has to be the most unexpected species of the trip. After a slow morning at Rondeau, we decided to check out the sewage ponds at Blenheim in hopes of a bit more bird action. We arrived at the gate, where we were greeted with the news that a pair of these Ontario rarities were at the ponds but had just flown. Luckily, the birds were refound and we ended up with great looks. This was an Ontario tick for both me and Don, despite both of us having extensive birding experience in the province!

Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola)

The first big flocks had been reported in the region the evening before we left for Rondeau, so we were on the lookout as we drove across from Pelee. We first spotted a flock of about 40 flying over a gravel road we had detoured on to. That flock wheeled away out of sight, but before we got moving again, another, larger flock came into view. They appeared to be looking to land, so we watched as they made pass after pass before finally putting down in the corn stubble field along the road. Fantastic scope studies ensued, and I was able to do a quick count, talling 141 birds, though I probably missed a few.

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus)

Though we heard someone at Hillman call out one of these birds, the only similar birds in view were a family of Killdeer, so perhaps they mistook one of the chicks for this species. The next afternoon, Mary Frances, Don, and I did find a single bird there, though, so who knows?

KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus) [N]

Common and widespread, and we recorded them everyday, including the aforementioned family at Hillman.

Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)

UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda)

We heard a few distant ones before Don managed to spot a pair slinking through the prairie smoke and tall grass not too far from the road. The elevated seats in the van gave us a good vantage point, and we probably would have missed them if we'd been in a lower vehicle.

DUNLIN (Calidris alpina)

A flock of about 100 of these was present at Hillman on both our afternoons there, with the birds being in a variety of plumages from dull winter dress to high breeding finery. A few more were seen in the sprinkler cells at the Blenheim sewage ponds.

LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla)

I think the cool weather had delayed shorebird migration, as there were very few of any species around. We had just a handful of these usually common peeps at Hillman, with a few more at Blenheim.

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (Calidris fuscicollis)

A reported White-rumped Sandpiper at Hillman was proving elusive to many visitors, and we couldn't locate it on our first visit. But on the following afternoon, Don and I eventually managed to pick it out from amidst all the Dunlin and concealing vegetation.

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (Calidris pusilla)

A single bird was found at Hillman on our first day, and that was it.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK (Scolopax minor)

We fared really well with woodcocks this trip, despite the fact that there were none displaying near our hotel, which is where we usually get to experience them. As we birded Tilden's Woods, we heard about a woodcock that was frequenting a small wet area not far away, so we headed over and soon were enjoying close views of it as it fed in typical quirky woodcock fashion, then settled down among the leaves for a rest. We repeated the experience the next day with the same bird, and then surprisingly, had another fantastic view of one we spotted from the van next to the road at Rondeau!

WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)

Pretty common at Carden, and we heard a number there, and eventually found a cooperative bird perched on a roadside fencepost that gave us a lengthy photoshoot before we left so the next vehicle could pull up and do the same! Shortly after we saw another perched up on a power line, where it looked very strange and out of place.

WILSON'S PHALAROPE (Phalaropus tricolor)

The stilts may have upstaged this bird at Blenheim, but it was also a nice surprise to see this scarce migrant swimming in one of the sprinkler cells there.

SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)

It's kind of surprising that we only saw a couple of these usually common birds, though I guess that is mainly since we spent little time in the appropriate habitat. Both our birds were at Blenheim sewage ponds.

GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca)

A small number were at Hillman Marsh, and a single bird along the canal during our evening walk at Big Creek Marsh.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes)

This species slightly outnumbered its larger relative at Hillman, and there were a few at Blenheim as well.

Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

BONAPARTE'S GULL (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)

A group of 20 or more were on the tip at Pelee on both of our first two mornings. Though most were in non-breeding or 1st winter plumage, there were at least a couple in full breeding dress.

RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)

The common inland gull here, but the few at Pelee were outnumbered by the Herring Gulls.

HERRING GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)

A dozen or so at the tip, mainly birds in some form of non-breeding adult plumage.

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus)

A single subadult on the tip.

CASPIAN TERN (Hydroprogne caspia)

A trio of these flew over the marsh as we drove across the causeway down to Long Point.

COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo)

A group of 5 flew by near the tip on our first morning, and were the only small terns we saw, surprisingly.

Gaviidae (Loons)

COMMON LOON (Gavia immer)

A winter plumage bird was scoped off the beach at the tip, and then a gorgeous bird in full breeding plumage was seen at an unlikely place, the Port Renfrew wetlands. The bird was initially swimming about, but eventually hoisted itself out of the water and rested on the tip of a large island.

Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Nannopterum auritum)

Numerous at Pelee, with plenty of flocks going over and lots of birds in the offshore waters.

Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)

AMERICAN BITTERN (Botaurus lentiginosus)

Heard first at Big Creek during our evening walk there. The next day we heard another one calling at the Sedge Wren Marsh on the Carden Plain, and I managed to spot the top half of this bird poking above the tall reeds, and we enjoyed watching as it crouched down almost out of sight before launching into another round of display and calls. The next day in the same area, we saw three different birds flying over different wetland areas along Wylie Road.

GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)

The odd one flew overhead at Pelee.

GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba)

Mary Frances spotted a couple flying past on our second afternoon at Hillman. A couple of others were spotted from the van on travel days.

GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens)

One was perched in a large white pine out behind the Old Cut Banding Station, looking quite out of place there, but it was likely a newly arrived migrant just setting down for a rest before moving onto better habitat.

Cathartidae (New World Vultures)

TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)

Numerous, with plenty seen soaring overhead every day.

Pandionidae (Osprey)

OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus)

A spotting scope that was set up just outside the Pelee Wings store was trained on a distant nest, though only bits of the Osprey itself were visible. A few up in the Orillia area were seen somewhat better.

Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)

BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

A subadult bird flew over on our first afternoon at Hillman, and a lovely adult flew past as we birded along the beach near the Dunes picnic area on our final day in the park.

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus)

Another birding group alerted us to one of these hawks perched in a dead tree in the St.Williams Reserve, and we backed up our vehicle to try to get far enough away so we could get out, but unfortunately the bird flew off before we could get out, and not everyone got to see it.

RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)

As we were driving to Hillman on our first afternoon, we spotted a Red-tail sitting on the ground in a grassy field, wings open in a classic mantling pose, indicating it was covering up some freshly caught prey item. Curious as to what it might be hiding, we backed up for a look, and saw that it had managed to snag a fairly large Eastern Fox Snake, and the snake was still writhing as the hawk flew off across the field with it in its talons. While fascinating to see, I was a bit disappointed as the foxsnake is an endangered species in the region, and I've only ever seen a single one prior to this.

Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon)

Our only one flew alongside the van for quite a stretch as we crossed the causeway at Big Creek Marsh.

Picidae (Woodpeckers)

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)

Fairly common in the Long Point region, where we saw our only ones at the delightfully-named Spooky Hollow!

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

An endangered species in the province, this gorgeous woodpecker is not a guarantee on this tour, but lucky for us our time at Pelee coincided with a small influx of these into the park. We saw from 1-3 daily with the best sighting being one that was sitting in the middle of the trail ahead of us at Tilden's Woods!

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes carolinus)

Unlike the preceding species, this woodpecker has been on the increase in the province in recent decades and is now quite common. We saw them daily at Pelee and Rondeau, with a single bird also at Old Cut, and observed one male excavating a nest hole near the Visitor Center at Pelee.

DOWNY WOODPECKER (Dryobates pubescens)

Easily the most numerous and familiar woodpecker across the province, and we saw these every day of the trip.

HAIRY WOODPECKER (Dryobates villosus)

Though this would be a great find at Pelee these birds do nest regularly in the forests of Rondeau PP, which is where we saw our only one, though we heard another in the Backus Woods.

PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)

A female was at the tip of Point Pelee, where it caused quite a stir as this is a very rare species in the park. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get a quick look at it perched on one of the southernmost trees in Canada (excluding Pelee Island) after which it gave us a fantastic look as it flew north just offshore of our position. This proved to be the only one we saw, though we heard others at Rondeau and the Carden region.

NORTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus)

A very common bird, and we had a few sightings each day of the trip.

Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)

AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)

A fairly easy species to miss on this tour, and it looked like most of us (Don saw one from the van while we drove to Rondeau) were going to miss it. But on our last morning in the Carden region, we finally managed to track down a pair.

Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)

EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus virens)

Flycatchers as a group were pretty scarce this trip, as the cool weather may have held them up further south. But the big push of migrants on our last day at Pelee did start to bring in the flycatchers, and we found a couple of these on our morning at The Dunes, our only sightings of the tour.

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Empidonax flaviventris)

This is one of the later arriving Empids, so I wasn't really expecting this one given the overall paucity of flycatchers. Thus, it was a real nice surprise when pretty much the first bird we saw upon entering the "old" Long Point Provincial Park was a very cooperative Yellow-bellied!

ALDER FLYCATCHER (Empidonax alnorum)

A couple of these were at the tip on our first morning at Pelee, and were the only ones we had all trip.

LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)

The most common Empid, and the only one we saw every day, though we had just one on each of our first two days before the big push of migrants arrived.

EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe)

An early-returning flycatcher, this species is generally already on territory before any of the others start showing up. These first showed up as we tried to spot the Hooded Warbler at Rondeau, and we saw several more around the Long Point region.

GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus crinitus)

A couple of birds on the trail near The Dunes on our last morning at Pelee had no doubt arrived with the numerous other migrants that appeared overnight. But the bulk of these usually common birds were still somewhere south of Lake Erie, as we saw no others on the trip, though we heard one or two around Long Point.

EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Along with Least Flycatcher, this was the flycatcher we saw most, with small numbers daily other than our very first day in the field. Particularly common in the lovely grasslands of the Carden Plains.

Vireonidae (Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis)

WHITE-EYED VIREO (Vireo griseus)

This is a scarce breeder in Canada, with southern Ontario being at the northern limit of their breeding range. And it's a species we don't always come across, though this spring seemed to be quite a good one for them. We initially saw one just south of the Pelee Visitor Center after we came across a large group of people peering into the underbrush, a typical way of finding rare birds at Pelee! Less typical, but more satisfying to me at least, was finding our very own White-eyed Vireo in a mixed flock of warblers at The Dunes the next day! Both of these birds gave us incredible views, at or below eye level.

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Vireo flavifrons)

Another uncommon vireo species here, also near the northern end of their breeding range. We only saw one along the bike trail near White Pines on our final afternoon at Pelee. It turned up close to the trail just a few minutes after we came across a stunning male Golden-winged Warbler and gave us a fantastic look in gorgeous late afternoon light.

BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo solitarius)

Mary Frances spotted the first of a handful we were to see at Pelee on our second morning at the tip. After we left Pelee, we saw just one more at the old Long Point PP.

WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gilvus)

The most numerous vireo of the trip, with small numbers seen daily at Pelee. It may be the drabbest of the vireos, but they sure do make up for that with a wonderful warbling song, true to their name.

RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus)

This familiar vireo was just starting to trickle into Ontario, and we saw just two individual birds: one on our final day at Pelee, on our birdy morning at The Dunes, the other at Backus Woods, where by now they should be singing pretty nonstop!

Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)

BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata)

Lots of these every day of the trip, and flocks of them making reverse migration movements off the tip at Pelee are a common sight.

AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

After making a remark early on as to how I rarely encountered crows in the park, and had probably seen as many rare Fish Crows as this common species in the park itself, a pair of American Crows seemed to taunt me by flying over several times daily, calling. Outside the park they were numerous as expected.

COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax) [*]

A distant bird was heard along Wylie Road on our final morning in the Carden region.

Paridae (Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice)

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (Poecile atricapillus)

It always surprises me how scarce this common bird is in Pelee; we saw just one at the park this year. After we left the park, we saw bundles of them.

Alaudidae (Larks)

HORNED LARK (Eremophila alpestris)

Seen only in the corn stubble fields en route to Rondeau where all the longspurs were hanging out. We had some very nice scope views of several of these.

Hirundinidae (Swallows)

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

Rarely seems to occur in numbers like most of the other swallows, and that held true this trip as well, as we saw a pair on both afternoons at Hillman, and not much more than that.

PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis) [N]

Martins seem to have declined a lot in many areas, and we certainly only saw a few individuals at Pelee, but Long Point was another story. The Bird Studies Canada HQ had a large number of specially-designed plastic "gourds" set out for these birds to nest in, and judging by the large numbers of martins there, these new nest sites were a smashing success!

TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor) [N]

Easily the most numerous swallow on most days, with many hanging around the numerous nest boxes set out for bluebirds, Prothonotary Warblers, etc. We saw these in large numbers daily.

BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia)

Regularly seen at the usual swallow venues like Hillman Marsh and the Blenheim sewage lagoons.

BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) [N]

Lots of these daily. Especially nice were the ones at the toilet block at the tip tram stop, as they were busy working on nests and often posed low and in the open, seemingly unconcerned about the crowds of birders moving around nearby.

Regulidae (Kinglets)

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Corthylio calendula)

I think the phrase "it's just another kinglet" was uttered several times by pretty much all of us, as these tiny birds were moving through in pretty good numbers, and numerous "warblers" turned out to be these instead!

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa)

A scarce bird at Pelee this late in the season, but we found a single one along the West Beach footpath on our second morning in the park.

Sittidae (Nuthatches)

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis)

An early migrant and the few we saw at Pelee were some of the last ones to pass through the park on their way north. We saw a total of 5 birds, some of which were feeding at arm's length paying us no attention, as the need for food was a far more pressing concern than our presence.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta carolinensis)

We saw just a single one, which is remarkable, as this is generally an easy to see species at Rondeau, where we missed them entirely (due in part to the feeders having been removed because of avian flu). Our lone bird was on our first morning at Pelee.

Certhiidae (Treecreepers)

BROWN CREEPER (Certhia americana)

Like the Golden-crowned Kinglet, this is an early migrant that is quite rare at Pelee this late in the spring. We found a lone singing bird along the lovely Woodland Trail, and got some nice looks as it foraged along several trailside tree trunks.

Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers)

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila caerulea)

Seen daily at the Lake Erie shoreline sites. While most remained high in the treetops, a few birds foraged at eye level and allowed some real good studies.

Troglodytidae (Wrens)

HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)

Though we heard them our first two days at Pelee, we didn't lay eyes on one until our 3rd day in the park. After leaving Pelee, we couldn't get away from them!

WINTER WREN (Troglodytes hiemalis) [*]

A distant singing bird in Backus Woods was all we could muster.

MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)

When I heard a wren calling along Wylie Road, my first thought was that it was a Sedge Wren. The marsh it was in is called the Sedge Wren Marsh after all. But when it popped into view, I was surprised to see it was actually this species, which gave us some stellar views as it sang from various cattail tufts.

CAROLINA WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

A couple of us saw one from the tram as we pulled into the tip on our first morning, though that bird disappeared by the time we'd disembarked and went looking for it. We did catch up with a few later in the trip, with our best looks coming at Rondeau.

Sturnidae (Starlings)

EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]

Unfortunately common and seen daily.

Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)

GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)

There were sure plenty of these around and we saw them in numbers every day of the tour.

BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufum)

Though we came across the odd individual over the first few days, it wasn't until we got to the Carden region that we came across the motherlode of thrashers! They are very common, very vocal, and very easy to see along Wylie Road at this season

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos)

Not a common species here, and one we often miss, so it was a nice surprise to spot one in our hotel parking lot as we were loading up in the van on our final morning at Pelee.

Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)

EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis) [N]

Several of the nest boxes along Wylie Road were hosting a pair of these beauties, and we had several nice views of them here.

VEERY (Catharus fuscescens)

The most commonly seen of the brown thrushes, with a small number each day, including great views of one bathing in a pool in Tilden's Woods.

SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus)

The buffy spectacles of this species make it pretty easy to identify. We saw a few scattered birds at each of the main venues along Lake Erie, though the bulk of this species came through just after the tour.

WOOD THRUSH (Hylocichla mustelina)

Wood Thrushes sing one of the loveliest songs of all North American birds, and we were treated to that melody throughout the tour. We also had a few nice looks at Pelee, particularly along the Tilden's Woods trail.

AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius) [N]

Lots of these were seen every day of the trip.

Bombycillidae (Waxwings)

CEDAR WAXWING (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Seen only at Pelee, where we had them on 2 out of 3 days, with a flock of about 30 the first day, then a flock of about 40 on our final day there.

Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)

HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]

Daily, mainly around towns, but with a few birds also at the tip tram stop.

Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (Spinus tristis)

Though we saw these daily, they were usually in pretty small numbers.

Calcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings)

LAPLAND LONGSPUR (Calcarius lapponicus)

One of the biggest surprises of the tour was the report of large numbers of these tundra-nesting birds in a stubble field east of Wheatley. These birds are usually all gone by the time we get here, and I've never seen them on tour prior to this year, so of course we had to make a stop for them. Though we never had any on the ground really close by, we did get some close flyby views and some distant scope views, so we had nice studies of their handsome breeding dress, a plumage I haven't seen in years! There was so much longspur activity over such a large area that it was difficult to judge the numbers, but I estimated there were 500+! Earlier estimates had put the number closer to 800; either way there were a lot of them!

Passerellidae (New World Sparrows)

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodramus savannarum)

A singing bird in old field habitat near Backus Woods was easily spotted and scoped for some fantastic looks, making the next day's bird along Wylie Road superfluous.

CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)

Hard to come by at Pelee this year, but we had these chipper little sparrows every day after we left the park.

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Spizella pallida)

Generally a rare bird at Pelee, so it was a real treat to track one down along the seasonal trail at The Dunes on our final morning there.

FIELD SPARROW (Spizella pusilla)

Like the Grasshopper Sparrow, this sparrow favors old field habitat, and we had them both together near Backus Woods. A few others were heard and seen in the Carden region.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

This and the next species were close to the end of their passage at Pelee, and I struggled to see either species the following week, but there were still a fair number coming through this week. We saw these in pretty small numbers mainly, other than on our last day at Pelee when there was a pretty good influx, and we saw 30-50 of them.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)

Outnumbered the White-crowned on most days other than that last day at Pelee. We saw both the color morphs: white striped and tan-striped. Apparently most breeding pairs consist of one of each color morph, and both morphs of males prefer white-striped females, while both female morphs prefer tan-striped males!

VESPER SPARROW (Pooecetes gramineus)

Our only ones were a couple of birds in the gorgeous grasslands in the Carden region. This isn't because they are rare around Pelee or Long Point, but in those areas they are mostly found at the edges of agricultural fields, a habitat we don't tend to spend much time in.

SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)

We picked up our first ones in the grassy verges around the Blenheim sewage ponds, then saw a handful daily the rest of the trip. Arguably the most common of the many sparrow species in the Carden region.

SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)

For as numerous as they are in many parts of Ontario, Song Sparrows are not all that common in Pelee, at least not in the parts we normally visit. We did run into a few in the scrubby areas along the West Beach, but saw far more once we left Pelee behind.

LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii)

We hit the brief migration window of these pretty sparrows just right, as we had several nice encounters with them at Pelee, Rondeau, and the old Long Point PP. The following week I saw none!

SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)

We heard several in the Sedge Wren Marsh along Wylie Road at the end of the trip, but the only ones we laid eyes on were a couple of birds along the Woodland Trail on our first morning at Pelee.

EASTERN TOWHEE (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Tom spotted the first one, a splendid male foraging on the leafy forest floor along the footpath near The Dunes. Nice spotting, Tom! We did see another singing male at the old Long Point PP, then several more in the Carden region, where they are quite common and much more easily seen.

Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)

BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

A trio of these dapper birds performed their bubbly song and gave us some nice views at the Blenheim sewage ponds, which was a good thing, as there seemed to be fewer than normal in the Carden region, and we saw just a couple there. Perhaps the dry conditions there had them seeking lusher fields elsewhere, or maybe they just hadn't arrived yet.

EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella magna)

Another specialty of the Carden region, where they were quite numerous, a good thing as they seem to have declined a lot in other regions of southern Ontario.

ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius)

Though considerably outnumbered by the next species, a few Orchard Orioles were coming though at Pelee during our three days there, and we saw them each day at the park, then no more. We saw both adult males and females, as well as a few 1st-year males, which are yellow with a black throat. They don't get their chestnut-orange plumage until after their first breeding season.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula)

Large numbers were starting to move through during our stay at Pelee. Though we only saw about a half a dozen our first day, then next day we saw 30+, and 50+ by the 3rd day, as well as decent numbers each of the remaining days of the tour. That many of these were feeding at eye level in trees with minimal foliage was an added bonus!

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Big numbers daily, with lots of the Pelee birds seemingly oblivious to our presence, regularly feeding on the ground just a few feet away.

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)

Also seen daily, though in significantly smaller numbers than the Red-wings.

RUSTY BLACKBIRD (Euphagus carolinus)

A blackbird that flew past at Tilden's gave an unusual sounding call, and I immediately realized it was one of these rather rare migrants, so we hurried along in the direction it had gone. Luckily it continued to call, so we were soon able to track it down as it foraged along the edge of a small forest pond, where we had fabulous scope views of it. Though superficially similar to a grackle, the shorter, unkeeled tail was an easily seen difference. Through the scope, we could also see that the plumage was far less glossy than a grackle's and the bird still retained a few rusty feathers left over from its winter plumage.

COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)

Common it is, and of the blackbirds, this species was only outnumbered by Red-wings.

Parulidae (New World Warblers)

OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapilla)

As usual, more often heard than seen, but we did have a few looks. The first one in Tilden's Woods only popped up for a couple of seconds and was missed by most of the group, but the next afternoon another one close to the same area performed much better, and we all had a nice look at that one.

LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia motacilla)

Always a tough one, and this time only Don and I had the quickest of glimpses of one along a roadside stream in the Long Point region.

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera)

I rarely ever encounter this gorgeous bird at the migration spots, relying on finding them on territory in the Carden region. And, while we did find them at Carden (more than I usually get, actually), this year we also had a wonderful encounter with a smashing male feeding low and fairly close to the bike trail near White Pines at Pelee. A lot of people at Pelee were looking for this species, so it was nice to find our own and to enjoy it without a crowd of other birders around.

BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora cyanoptera)

A fabulous male feeding in low vegetation just south of the Pelee Visitor Center was a highlight of our first morning there. But our second encounter was even better! That came on our final afternoon at Pelee when we came across another male feeding at eye level, very close to the trail, with the sun at our backs, putting it in gorgeous lighting. We enjoyed point blank views as he moved from one dead leaf cluster to another, probing each one for whatever invertebrates might be hiding inside, at times approaching to within arm's length and paying us no attention whatsoever! What an amazing experience!

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia)

Seen or heard daily in small numbers; even on our big warbler day at Pelee there were only two seen. Most of the birds we saw were males, which tend to arrive before females start showing up, though we did have a couple of females towards tour's end as well.

PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonotaria citrea)

When I first started leading this tour, this species was hard to come by at Pelee, and we usually ended up looking for it at Rondeau. They've become more regular in recent years at Pelee, but this year was amazing; I've never seen them so easily and so often! Not only were there 2 or 3 pairs along the Woodland Trail, but we also ran across them a couple of times in Tilden's Woods. I don't believe I've ever uttered the phrase"it's just another Prothonotary" before this trip!

TENNESSEE WARBLER (Leiothlypis peregrina)

Great looks at a couple feeding low with a mixed warbler flock in a little hollow near The Dunes on our big warbler day at Pelee. Though we heard few more, our only other sighting was a lone bird with another small warbler flock along Wylie Road.

NASHVILLE WARBLER (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)

Recorded on all but one day, but only in small numbers. Our biggest numbers, and best views, came at Rondeau, particularly around the Pony Barn area where it was probably the most numerous warbler species on a rather slow warbler day.

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)

One of the few warblers that actually breeds at Pelee, and a very common species. We had multiple sightings of these daily.

HOODED WARBLER (Setophaga citrina)

The only one at Pelee was seen only by Bill when he lagged behind the rest of us at the Cactus Field on our last afternoon. The next day, we had limited success with a male at Rondeau, most of us getting some kind of look, but not a truly satisfying experience. We finally made good with these beauties in the Long Point region, first getting stellar views of a singing male at a roadside stop near Fishers Glen, then capping things off with a male on a reliable territory in Backus Woods.

AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla)

None at all our first two days at Pelee, then recorded daily beginning with a handful of birds at The Dunes.

CAPE MAY WARBLER (Setophaga tigrina)

Never very numerous, but even less so this year, as we saw just two birds, though both of those were fine males. The first was a good, close, but fairly brief encounter along Woodland Trail on our first morning. The second was a more distant bird, but arguably a better view as we got to watch it through the scope as it fed in a budding tree that was bustling with birds at Fishers Glen.

NORTHERN PARULA (Setophaga americana)

Though we heard them elsewhere, all our sightings came at Pelee, where we had a few each day. Probably our most memorable was one of our very first, a spiffy male that fed just over our heads and only a few feet away along the Woodland Trail. He eventually gathered quite a crowd of happy birders and photographers, and was still entertaining people when we eventually moved on.

MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Setophaga magnolia)

The first big push of warblers on our final day at Pelee brought in good numbers of 'Maggies" and they were one of the more numerous species of warblers we saw that day, after which we had a few each day for the remainder of the week. Most of our sightings were of males, which are pretty unmistakeable. Once the females start turning up, there is often a rash of reported (erroneous) Kirtland's Warbler sightings.

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (Setophaga castanea)

Don spotted our first ones, a couple of handsome males with a nice mixed warbler flock at the Dunes. A few days later at Old Cut, we saw several more, with about half a dozen or more feeding in the White Pines behind the banding station in great morning light, giving us all some really satisfying views.

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Setophaga fusca)

I think Bill was left a bit speechless when he spotted the first one, a brilliant male, feeding close to the ground at Hillman Marsh, as all he could manage to get out of his mouth was a loud, excited "Ooooh!" That was enough to get us all to turn around and soak up some amazing views of this bird that performed like a pro! I think Jeeranan was quite taken with these beauties as well, as she spotted quite a few of our subsequent birds, with each and every one eliciting at least one "Oooooh!" from someone in our group.

YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia)

Yellow Warbler filters are a necessity at Pelee because there are sure a lot of them here, and they are one of the most conspicuous species of warblers in the park, as well as being common pretty much everywhere else we went, too.

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (Setophaga pensylvanica)

The end of our morning outing on our second day at Pelee finished up on a high note as we found both our first Chestnut-sided Warbler and a White-eyed Vireo feeding in low vegetation near the trail, just as we were arriving at the Visitor Center. We saw a few more of these through the rest of the trip, including a handful of singing birds establishing their territories along Wylie Road.

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (Setophaga caerulescens)

Very few of these birds were present during our week, though we saw them in ones or twos most days. Our first male was a bit overshadowed by the showboat Northern Parula along Woodland, and it slipped away while we were distracted by that bird. We finally got a satisfying view of a male that Mary Frances found along Rondeau's Spicebush Trail. We also saw at least one female, a far more subtly-plumaged bird than those dapper males, and one that often causes a fair bit of confusion amongst new birders, though that small white wing patch is an excellent mark to look for.

PALM WARBLER (Setophaga palmarum)

This is a pretty early migrant as warblers go (I saw my first in Quebec in mid-April!) and no doubt most had already passed through, but there was a small influx of them on our big warbler day at Pelee, when we had great looks of at least 3 of them foraging on the ground along the seasonal trail at the Dunes. We also saw a lone bird at Rondeau, in the planter in someone's front yard, and singles at both Old Cut and the old Long Point PP. Even with the briefest of views, the distinct and constant tail-wagging behavior makes this a pretty easy bird to identify.

PINE WARBLER (Setophaga pinus)

Another early migrant, and one I rarely see at Pelee as most have already passed through and are on territory by the time we run the tour. A fairly common breeder in the Long Point region, where we heard quite a few, but struggled a bit to see one, though we did manage one sighting at Fishers Glen.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Setophaga coronata)

Yet another early migrant, with the bulk of these passing through the region in late April. Still, there were a few stragglers coming through, and we saw them in ones or twos on several days at Pelee and Long Point.

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Setophaga virens)

Not too many, but several of the ones we saw, including that first male near the tip on our first morning, were feeding low and close, and offered up some fantastic looks.

WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)

Usually fairly uncommon on migration here, and this trip we had just one, a brief view of a male in the warbler-filled hollow at the Dunes on our final Pelee morning.

Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)

SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga olivacea)

The sight of a brilliant red male sitting out in the open at eye level is a breath-taking experience, and we had our breath taken by several males in this situation at Pelee. We also saw a few birds in the Long Point area, including our first females, a couple of which were foraging at the old park.

NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)

A cardinal a day was enough to keep Lannois energized and happy, and we had more than just one per day on this trip!

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

We saw them every day of the trip, and it was especially fun to see the numbers as they built up from one day to the next. On our first morning, we had brief looks at just a couple of birds; by the next afternoon, we had more than a dozen, and even more the following day. That many of these were feeding practically at our feet was an added bonus!

INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea)

We saw only a total of 5 birds overall, and they weren't all amazing views, but that one glowing male that sat out in the open at the Dunes, allowing us all a great scope view, certainly made up for the less cooperative ones!

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MAMMALS

EASTERN COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus floridanus)

The common bunny of the Lake Erie sites. We saw them on several days.

SNOWSHOE HARE (Lepus americanus)

The "rabbit" we saw along the road in the Carden region was actually this hare, though at this time of year they're not as easily told from cottontails as they are in winter, when they turn white. It's relatively short-eared for a hare, but the heavier build and somewhat different color and body structure helped nail the identification, and the habitat was also more typical of this species.

PLAIN EASTERN CHIPMUNK (Tamias striatus)

I rarely, if ever, see these at Pelee, but they are a common species in the forests at Rondeau and Long Point, where we saw a bunch of them.

WOODCHUCK (Marmota monax)

A few of us saw one along the highway as we were driving down to Pelee on our first afternoon.

EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL (Sciurus carolinensis)

Very common, and seen daily in fair numbers.

RED SQUIRREL (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

These coniferous-forest squirrels only started turning up at Carden, where they are quite common and noisy.

MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica)

One was sitting up on the shore of one of the sewage ponds at Blenheim, and a couple were spotted swimming across the marsh at Big Creek.

RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes)

Don saw one from the van as we drove from Rondeau to Simcoe but he was the only one.

COYOTE (Canis latrans)

One was running across the stubble field where we stopped for the longspurs, another was seen as we toured around the Long Point area.

NORTHERN RACCOON (Procyon lotor)

We saw three, but the best one was at Rondeau, where we spotted one in the hollow of a large tree. It looked very relaxed as it lounged on its back with its head hanging out of the hole. The other two were nothing more but a large fur ball in the crook of a tree.

AMERICAN MINK (Mustela vison)

Pieter spotted a mammal of some sort running along the stream at Fishers Glen with a fish in its mouth. It disappeared below us, where the stream passed under the road, so we hurried across the road in hopes that it would appear on the other side, and it did! Several of us managed to spot it hurrying along the stream edge, on its way to feed some hungry kits in its den, no doubt, and we were able to identify it as a mink with those views. Any sighting of a weasel is excellent in my view!

WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus)

A couple along the beach at Pelee were a bit of a surprise as I rarely see deer in the park. We also had a trio of deer the following day en route to Rondeau.

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HERPS

COMMON FIVE-LINED SKINK (Plestiodon fasciatus)

During our picnic lunch at West Beach, Jeeranan spotted a skink soaking up the sun on a nearby log, but it ran for cover before anyone else got to see it. This is Ontario's only lizard species, and is only found in the extreme south of the province.

COMMON GARTERSNAKE (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Singles on three days, with especially nice looks at one curled up on the concrete abutment of the bridge at the Sedge Wren Marsh on Wylie Road.

NORTHERN WATERSNAKE (Nerodia sipedon)

Jeeranan also spotted this snake in the water along Wylie Road, and she managed to show Bill and Mary Frances who were also nearby, but like the skink, the snake headed for cover before the rest of us came back for a look.

EASTERN FOXSNAKE (Pantherophis gloydi)

While it was certainly still alive, I doubt it remained that way for long, as it was in the talons of a hungry Red-tailed Hawk near Hillman Marsh. This is considered an endangered species in Ontario, and this was just the second one I've ever seen.

PICKEREL FROG (Lithobates palustris)

This was a lifer for me, thanks to Bill for spotting it and pointing out the differences between this frog and a nearby Leopard Frog at the Port Rowan Wetlands.

NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG (Lithobates pipiens)

Just one a few feet from the Pickerel Frog.

AMERICAN BULLFROG (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Quite a few of these big frogs were at the Port Rowan Wetland, and there were a bunch of truly massive tadpoles there as well!

GREEN FROG (Lithobates clamitans)

In general the most numerous and easily seen frog in the province. These look very similar to bullfrogs, though they are smaller, and have an obvious ridge running from their ears back along their sides to their back legs. Bullfrogs lack this ridge.

PAINTED TURTLE (Chrysemys picta)

The cool wether wasn't especially to the liking of turtles, and as a result we only saw one of these common turtles, basking on a log at the Port Rowan Wetland.

BLANDING'S TURTLE (Emydoidea blandingii)

As we walked along the road through the Sedge Wren Marsh back towards the van, we could see a slow-moving dark shape on the road near where we parked. A look through the scope showed a high-domed shell, which immediately had me thinking of this Threatened species. Once we got closer, the obvious contrasting bright yellow throat clinched the identification.

COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE (Chelydra serpentina)

One of these was seen by some at the Blenheim sewage ponds.

AMERICAN TOAD (Anaxyrus americanus)

Spring was definitely in the air for toads during the tour, as they were calling incessantly and we even came across a mating pair on the edge of the trail in Tilden's Woods.

SPRING PEEPER (Pseudocris crucifer) [*]

We didn't see these, but there was a fair bit of vocal activity along the Woodland Trail and other wet areas at Pelee.

GRAY TREEFROG (Hyla versicolor) [*]

A few were heard either at Long Point or the Carden area, or perhaps both.

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Totals for the tour: 163 bird taxa and 12 mammal taxa