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Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)

CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) [N]

Seen daily, with plenty of goslings around, too.

MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor) [IN]

A nesting pair in the marsh at Pelee was the first of these I'd seen in the park. Others were in Big Creek Marsh at Long Point.

TRUMPETER SWAN (Cygnus buccinator) [I]

Ann and Laura saw and photographed a trio along the west beach at Pelee while wandering around during the picnic lunch preparation. Birds here are part of what seems to be a very successful reintroduction of these swans into Ontario.

WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa)

A couple of pairs perched in trees along Pelee's Woodland Nature Trail, with a pair also at Rondeau, and a single at Long Point.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Spatula discors)

Up to 10 birds were present in the Hillman Marsh Shorebird Cell on each of our visits.

NORTHERN SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata)

A lone drake at Hillman.

GADWALL (Mareca strepera)

Five birds at Hillman on our first visit, with just 2 left there the following day.

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos)

Easily the most common dabbling duck with small numbers seen daily.

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

A lingering pair at Hillman were nice to see.

GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila)

Most of the diving ducks appeared to have already moved northward, and there were fewer than normal remaining. We had just one record of half a dozen on these of the Tip on our first morning at Pelee.

LESSER SCAUP (Aythya affinis)

Roughly half a dozen of these were at the back end of the Shorebird Cell at Hillman.

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator)

Most years at this time there are still large numbers hanging around in Lake Erie, but not this year. Our high count was just a dozen birds at the Tip on our first morning. We also had about 10 along Hastings Drive at Long Point.

Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)

WILD TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo)

I was beginning to wonder if the turkeys had been culled in Point Pelee, as most years we saw them in numbers daily at the park. This trip we came across 3 on the Woodland Trail on our final day at Pelee, and that was it, other than a few birds seen in agricultural areas when we were on the road.

RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus) [*]

We heard drumming males in the Long Point area at Fishers Glen, and a couple of times around the Carden Alvar, but as usual, no sightings.

Podicipedidae (Grebes)

HORNED GREBE (Podiceps auritus)

A single bird seen in the back of the Shorebird Cell on both afternoon visits to Hillman.

Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)

ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I]

Common in towns and around farmhouses.

MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)

Seen daily in small numbers.

Cuculidae (Cuckoos)

BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

Cuckoos are rather late migrants most years, and even more so this year with the delayed migration we experienced, so we were pretty lucky to get one at all, let along get such a good look. This was our final species added to the trip list, and it bumped Wood Thrush out of the top spot on Ann's top 3 list! We were making one final stop along Wylie Road to scan for shrikes when this bird sang from nearby, and we quickly tracked it down and scoped it, getting great views before it took off and flew across the alvar into the distance.

Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)

COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor)

We found a lone bird roosting in a large maple above one of the campsites at the old Long Point PP.

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

A couple of close calling birds in the Long Point region after dark were nice to hear, though they stayed out of sight, which isn't too unusual here.

Apodidae (Swifts)

CHIMNEY SWIFT (Chaetura pelagica)

Singles or pairs were seen and heard on several days flying at Pelee, as well as Rondeau.

Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus colubris)

A couple of quick looks at birds buzzing past at Madbin Jina picnic site in Pelee, then better scope views of a perched male near the Pony Barn at Rondeau. No surprise they were scarce with this spring's delayed migration.

Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)

VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)

By voice, these seemed pretty numerous in the marshes around Orillia, and we got some nice views of one pair in one roadside marsh, too.

SORA (Porzana carolina) [*]

A couple of pairs were calling in one roadside marsh in the Carden area, but they kept out of sight, though one was really quite close.

Gruidae (Cranes)

SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis)

Not so many years ago, I would have counted us lucky to see any cranes on this tour. Now I expect them, a sure sign that they are on the increase. We had one or two birds at Hillman each visit, with one parachuting into the marsh nearby, creating a memorable moment! We also saw and heard several around the Big Creek Marsh at Long Point.

Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana)

A bird was reported on the barrier beach along a dead end road near Hillman Marsh, so we went for a look, and found it huddled at the water's edge, though a scope was needed to get a good view. Though they seem to turn up annually nowadays, they are still a scarce enough migrant to cause a bit of excitement here and it was just the second time I've seen it on this tour.

Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola)

Seen only on our first afternoon visit to Hillman, when a few birds out of an estimated flock of 100+ dropped into the marsh for a rest.

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus)

Just three birds were at Hillman on the second afternoon we birded there. Shorebirds tend to peak a bit later, so these were just the vanguard of larger numbers to come.

KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus)

A common and familiar species, with a few recorded pretty much daily.

Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)

UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda)

One of the top targets for any birder visiting the Carden Alvar, as this is one of the easiest places to see this declining grassland breeder. That said, they aren't generally easy at this time of year, as they are pretty secretive when nesting. So I was happily surprised to spot a bird perched on a roadside fencepost along Wylie Road as we were headed back in the late afternoon, and even happier to see three others join it after it dropped into the prairie grasses to feed!

DUNLIN (Calidris alpina)

As usual, the most numerous shorebird at Hillman, where we estimated about 300+ on both afternoons there, many of them already in their brightly-colored breeding plumage.

LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla)

We managed to pick out a lone bird from among the mass of Dunlins on the first afternoon at Hillman. Our only other sighting was of 4 birds on a little muddy beach at our picnic lunch spot in Port Rowan.

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (Calidris pusilla)

There was also a single one of these at Hillman, seen on both of our visits.

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus)

Nice spotting by Laura to pick out our only dowitcher among all the vegetation and Dunlins at Hillman. As the majority of the ones that occur here are, this bird belonged to the more brightly colored western subspecies, hendersoni.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK (Scolopax minor)

I'd heard one calling out behind our hotel on our first night, so the next evening after dinner, we went for a look. The bird emerged onto his display area before dark and gave us a great look as it began calling, then flying off to perform an aerial display before returning again and again. We were a bit concerned when we saw a photographer walking up to it, and I was sure it would flush, but the bird was remarkably unbothered and just kept doing its thing. We kept our distance anyway. Interestingly, it was not displaying here on the second tour, so maybe it was a bit more put out by people approaching to closely than we had imagined.

WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)

Another target species for the Carden area, though this one is significantly easier than the Upland Sandpipers. Usually we find one or two perched on roadside fenceposts where they seem to have become pretty habituated to photographers pulling up beside them and stopping. And that was exactly our experience this trip, which allowed us some fabulous close views of an underrated beauty of a bird.

SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)

A single bird at Hillman, a pair along the West Beach at Pelee, and a lone bird at Long Point were all we could muster this trip.

GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca)

Outnumbered by the next species, but we had a handful at Hillman on both afternoons, and had some excellent side by side of the two yellowlegs, which is a great way to get a sense of the differences in size and shape.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes)

This is usually the more numerous of the two yellowlegs, as it was again this year. We had 7 or 8 on each of our visits to Hillman.

Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (Rissa tridactyla)

After an uneventful walk down the West Beach footpath, we made a stop at the Tip bathrooms, but had almost decided not to check out the Tip itself, as reports were that nothing special was about. But knowing how things can change there in an instant, and since we were so close, anyway, I decided we may as well look. And a good thing we did, as we arrived there to the news that an adult of this rare gull had just flown in and landed amongst the other gulls! Though a little more regular in the fall, this seems to be one of the very few spring records for Pelee and was certainly the rarest bird we encountered here. Paul picked this as his top bird of the tour, and I'm inclined to say it was mine, too.

BONAPARTE'S GULL (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)

About 60 of these dainty gulls were at the Tip on the first morning, most in non-breeding plumage but with a few lovely black-headed breeding birds among them. We also saw a couple at the avocet site near Hillman.

RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)

Though this is generally the default gull across most of the province, we actually saw relatively few, with a handful at the Tip, and others once we headed inland.

HERRING GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)

There seemed to be more than usual on the lake at Pelee this year, and we saw them daily at the park.

CASPIAN TERN (Hydroprogne caspia)

A pair of these huge terns flew into the Shorebird Cell at Hillman on our second visit there, and we saw another as we drove over the bridge between the two lakes (Simcoe and Couchiching) in Orillia.

BLACK TERN (Chlidonias niger)

The excursion to find the avocet near Hillman also gave us some fantastic looks at about 20 of these small, pretty terns, which are a declining species here. We also had a pair flying over one of the marshes in the Orillia area.

COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo)

The avocet spot also had a bunch of the next species present, most of them sitting on a large dead tree in the water. We were actually about to walk back to the van when I heard one of these calling, and decided to take a closer look, and sure enough, there were a couple of these mixed in. The calling bird was easy enough to pick out, not just as it kept calling, but by its darker, purer red bill, and the its grayer underparts (much paler in Forster's).

FORSTER'S TERN (Sterna forsteri)

About 20 of them at the avocet spot, and a single bird flashing its silvery wings along Hastings Drive at Long Point.

Gaviidae (Loons)

COMMON LOON (Gavia immer)

Recorded on 3 consecutive days, with a heard only one at Pelee, a flyover at Rondeau's Pony Barn the next day, and a better flyover as we birded at Old Cut the day after that.

Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Nannopterum auritum)

An everyday bird, with some pretty big numbers, especially at Pelee where there were ~80-100 birds at and near the Tip.

Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)

AMERICAN BITTERN (Botaurus lentiginosus)

One was calling as we walked the road through the Sedge Wren Marsh in the Carden area, and as we got closer, I managed to spot its upper half protruding above the tall green grass it was standing in, and we got to enjoy scope views as it continued to call and display! Always fun to see!

LEAST BITTERN (Ixobrychus exilis) [*]

One began calling near dusk on our evening visit to Big Creek Marsh, along with one or two American Bitterns.

GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)

In small numbers on several days, with a maximum count of 4 birds together at Hillman one afternoon.

GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba)

Mainly seen at Hillman, where there were 3 together one afternoon. We also had a couple of sightings as we drove across the causeway at Big Creek Marsh.

GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens)

One at Pelee, where we saw it fly across in front of us one the edge of the marsh, but best seen at Long Point, where a couple of birds were perched in the trees behind the banding station, where they squabbled noisily.

Cathartidae (New World Vultures)

TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)

There were plenty of these seen daily with the largest numbers at Pelee.

Pandionidae (Osprey)

OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus)

One flew over as we birded the Sleepy Hollow area at Pelee, and another was seen perched on a nest platform in Orillia.

Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)

NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus hudsonius)

Just a few birds, with a female flying over the parking area at DesLaurier Trail in Pelee, a couple of birds over the Big Creek Marsh, and a single male seen flying over a marsh on our final morning in the Carden region.

COOPER'S HAWK (Accipiter cooperii)

We rarely see many Accipiters on this tour, which I find a little perplexing for such a migrant trap, but that's just how it is. Our only one of these was a bird in immature plumage that flew in and paused briefly in a nearby tree as we birded at the old Long Point PP.

BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) [N]

Seen at all three Lake Erie shoreline parks, but the best sighting was of an adult perched near its nest along the Deslaurier Trail. By scoping the nest, we were also able to see that it held at least three very young eaglets!

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus)

Three birds circled over Tilden's Woods among a large group of vultures late on our first morning at Pelee, and another was seen over the Deslaurier parking lot the next day.

RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)

A few birds at various spots over Pelee, including a very pale, ratty-looking bird.

Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon)

Single birds on each morning as we crossed the Big Creek Marsh causeway, and one at one of the marshes in the Carden region were all for the trip.

Picidae (Woodpeckers)

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)

Two birds on our final morning around the Carden region, with nice looks at both. The first was in the trees above where we'd parked to look for marsh birds, the second was drumming loudly from a fencepost along Wylie Road.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

It's always a pleasure to see this beautiful woodpecker, though it's no guarantee on this tour as they are quite a rare and declining breeder in the province. We had just two sightings, one along the Woodland Trail at Pelee, the other along Rondeau's Tulip Tree Trail.

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes carolinus)

Conversely, this species has been on the increase, and has been expanding its range in Ontario in recent years. We saw them in small numbers daily until we left Lake Erie behind and headed north.

DOWNY WOODPECKER (Dryobates pubescens)

The most common woodpecker on this tour, and as with the Red-bellied, we saw these in small numbers daily until we headed north.

HAIRY WOODPECKER (Dryobates villosus)

Two sightings of a male at Pelee on the same morning (one at the Tip, the other along Woodland Nature Trail), were very likely the same bird as this is a rarely seen species in the park. We had one more bird at Old Cut Banding Station, but oddly failed to find any at Rondeau where they breed.

PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)

Not uncommon (except at Pelee, where it's a rarity), but not always easy to find, so we were lucky to have such amazing views of a bird working over a fallen log on the forest floor along Bennett Road in Rondeau. It was so intent on finding something to eat, it really didn't pay us any attention, either.

NORTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus)

We recorded these daily, but far more often by voice than visually.

Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)

MERLIN (Falco columbarius)

Two sightings of a bird we usually miss! One flew over as we walked the West Beach footpath down towards the Tip, and another flew over as we birded around the Pony Barn at Rondeau.

Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)

EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus virens)

The delayed migration meant there were far fewer flycatchers than normal, and we only picked up a single one of these, likely one of the earliest ones to arrive. We saw ours at the old Long Point PP, though we also heard one singing at Rondeau.

LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)

The only Empid flycatcher we recorded this tour (as well as on the 2nd one). Small numbers were recorded daily until we headed north. There was a bit of excitement over a reported Acadian Flycatcher at the Tip, and we strolled over for a look, but it was pretty clearly this much more expected species, which even called, putting to rest any question as to its true identity!

EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe)

A lone bird perched over the compost heap at the Pony Barn in Rondeau, and a pair around the houses at Fishers Glen the next day.

GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus crinitus)

Small numbers were just starting to trickle in. We saw our first along the footpath at the Dunes on our final afternoon at Pelee, then a couple at Rondeau the next day, with a few others heard at Long Point and the Carden area.

EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Least Flycatcher and this species were the only two we recorded in double digits. We had these daily after our first day at Pelee, with about half of our sightings in the grasslands at Carden, where they are a common breeding species.

Vireonidae (Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis)

BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo solitarius)

A species we sometimes see very few (if any of) as their peak migration is earlier, and most have usually moved on by this time. Not so this year, as we saw small numbers (1-5) daily at Pelee and Rondeau, then about a dozen still on our morning of birding around Old Cut at Long Point PP!

WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gilvus)

This dull species was in in pretty good numbers, and we saw them daily, tallying about 40 of them altogether.

RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus)

These vireos were just starting to arrive, and we saw just a few singles at Pelee, and one at Long Point.

Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)

BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata)

Though we saw them every day, these common (but handsome) birds seemed less numerous/conspicuous than they usually are at this time of year.

AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Up until a couple of years ago, I rarely saw these common birds in Pelee proper. This year there were a few birds seen daily. Outside of the park they were everywhere.

COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax)

Though ravens have been on the increase in southern Ontario in recent years, it's still not a bird we see every year on this trip. Our only one this trip was flying over the Sedge Wren Marsh along Wylie Road on our final morning of birding.

Paridae (Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice)

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (Poecile atricapillus) [N]

Three pairs over two of three days at Pelee were more than we usually see in the park, where they seem scarce. One bird visited what may have been a nest hole above the boardwalk on the Woodland Trail. Away from Pelee we saw a few daily.

Alaudidae (Larks)

HORNED LARK (Eremophila alpestris)

A single bird flew off the road and into an agricultural field as we drove the final stretch towards Pelee on our first afternoon. If I'd known we weren't going to see any others, I might have stopped for it.

Hirundinidae (Swallows)

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

Never numerous, and our only record was of a pair of birds at Long Point.

PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis) [N]

Small numbers of the various trails at Rondeau, than some excellent close looks at a bunch around Long Point, where some new-fangled plastic nesting "gourds" seem to really be to their liking!

TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor) [N]

The most numerous swallow of the trip, with plenty seen daily, including several in the various nesting boxes put out for Prothonotary Warblers (Pelee) and Eastern Bluebirds (Carden).

BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia)

A couple of birds flying over the Shorebird Cell at Hillman were our only ones.

BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) [N]

Seen daily in small numbers, with the birds nesting around the rest rooms and shelter at the Tip being delightfully tame and approachable!

Regulidae (Kinglets)

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Corthylio calendula)

Peak migration of these tiny birds is usually earlier than this, and some years we see very few, but they were all over the place this year. Our Ebird submissions show about 130 of these that we recorded, which may be triple my previous high for this tour!

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa)

We rarely find this species on the tour, as they're usually long gone by this time of year, though I've had the odd straggler in the past. I heard one one of these as I prepared our picnic lunch at Madbin Jina on our 2nd day in the park, and later, as we ate, the bird appeared in a nearby pine and gave us some nice views as it foraged and sang.

Sittidae (Nuthatches)

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis)

Another early migrant, but not as scarce on this trip as the Golden-crowned Kinglet. Still, I normally wouldn't expect to see them every day of the trip, even if it was only one or two per day.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta carolinensis)

Never common at Pelee, though we did see one at Madbin Jina. Much more likely at Rondeau, where they are a common breeder, and we saw at least 4 on our day there.

Certhiidae (Treecreepers)

BROWN CREEPER (Certhia americana) [*]

Heard twice at Pelee, once along Woodland Trail, and once in Tilden's Woods, but we could never get eyes on them. This is another migrant that is usually gone from Pelee by the time of this tour.

Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers)

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila caerulea)

A few birds were seen daily until we left the Lake Erie region to head north.

Troglodytidae (Wrens)

HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)

A few each day, including in the Carden region, though more were heard than seen.

MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)

I think Marsh Wrens were really just starting to arrive in number, and weren't really defending territories yet. None at all were heard in the evening at Big Creek Marsh, where they're usually common (lots were heard the following week). Our only ones then, were in a small marsh in the Carden area, where up to 5 birds were singing, and at least one sat up in the open to do so, giving us a great look.

CAROLINA WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Though we recorded these every day in the Lake Erie shoreline sites, we actually laid eyes on very few. At least there was one very vocal and relatively easy to see bird right over the bathrooms at Point Pelee's Tip.

Sturnidae (Starlings)

EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]

Unfortunately common throughout.

Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)

GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)

We turned up just a few on our first two days at Pelee, but their numbers started building up by day 3, when we saw 10+ at Pelee, and similar numbers the following day at Rondeau. By the time we got to Long Point, there seemed to be one or two under every bush, particularly at the old campground.

BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufum)

Though we heard one each at Pelee and Long Point, we didn't lay eyes on them until we got to the Carden area, where they're a common breeding species.

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos)

While probably a pretty unexciting bird for those of you that have these as a common backyard species, this is not a common bird here, so one that was moving through the trees towards the Tip on our first morning at Pelee was a good find, and stirred up a little excitement for the crowds there.

Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)

EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis) [N]

One was hanging around near the picnic tables next to the Visitor Center parking lot as we were setting up for lunch on our first day at Pelee. Our only other ones were a couple of pairs at some of the next boxes along Wylie Road in the Carden Alvar.

VEERY (Catharus fuscescens)

The bulk of the thrush migration was yet to come, but lucky for us all the possible species were present and accounted for. This was the most numerous, and we saw (or heard) a few daily at the Lake Erie birding hot spots.

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH (Catharus minimus)

We probably miss this species on the tour more often than not, partly due to scarcity, partly due to them peaking a little later in the month. So we were really lucky to have one hop out onto the trail ahead of us at the Pony Barn in Rondeau.

SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus)

Other than a single bird along the West Beach footpath at Pelee, all of our sightings came at Long Point, as they were really only starting to trickle in. Our sightings did give us the chance to see those prominent buffy spectacles, which are an obvious difference from the plain-faced look of the above species.

HERMIT THRUSH (Catharus guttatus)

This is another thrush we rarely see on the tour, as this one is an early migrant and most have moved through already by the time of the tour. This year there were still a few lingerers, with singles on a couple of days at Pelee, and a couple of birds at Rondeau. The contrasting rusty tail makes this species pretty easy to identify.

WOOD THRUSH (Hylocichla mustelina)

Recorded daily at the three major venues along the lake. At times we were only treated to the lovely, ethereal song, but we also had some good looks, none better than the astonishingly tame one along the Tilden's Woods trail that started off close, then kept moving closer, while feeding fully in the open!

AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius) [N]

They may be abundant but who cares? Robins are just wonderful, cheerful birds! They kept us company throughout the tour, and our final tally was 140+ birds, which doesn't even include the handful of Ebird checklists where I just entered an "X" in place of a number.

Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)

HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]

I was pleased to not see any of these around the shuttle stop bathrooms at the Tip. In fact, I didn't notice any at all at Pelee this year, though there were some around our hotel and plenty at Long Point.

Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)

HOUSE FINCH (Haemorhous mexicanus) [I]

This species always seems oddly scarce on this tour, perhaps as it is primarily an urban bird here. Our only one of the trip was a singing male just outside the doors of our Leamington hotel.

PURPLE FINCH (Haemorhous purpureus)

This is another species that has usually moved on by the time we get to Pelee, though we do sometimes find them on their breeding grounds in the Carden region. So a cooperative pair near the parking lot at Pelee's Deslaurier Trail was a nice surprise.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (Spinus tristis)

Never very numerous, but we did have a handful of these cuties almost every day of the trip.

Passerellidae (New World Sparrows)

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodramus savannarum)

I used to think this was a tough bird to find on this trip until I discovered a fantastic site in the Long Point area a few years ago. The birds here always seem to be singing spontaneously, and it's usually just a matter of a minute or two before we track it down on its song perch, sometimes on a small shrub, other times right on the fence-line along the road. Happy to say these birds performed beautifully once again! The one along Wylie Road the next day was just icing!

CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)

A common breeding species in the areas we visited, and we saw a handful of Chippies pretty much every day.

FIELD SPARROW (Spizella pusilla)

One was feeding beside a Chipping Sparrow on the edge of the parking area at Sleepy Hollow on our first day at Pelee. Several others were heard and seen at the Grasshopper Sparrow site at Long Point.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

I think we hit the peak of the migration window for this handsome species, as we saw more than usual. In fact, we saw more on our one morning around Madbin Jina (~40+ birds) than we often see on the entire tour!

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)

These were even more numerous than the above species, though they tend to hit their peak a little earlier, usually before our tour starts. Most days we would have had to make an effort to not see any, though our 3rd day at Pelee and the day at Rondeau were relatively quiet with just a few birds. But there was a big push the next day at Long Point, where they were just about everywhere!

VESPER SPARROW (Pooecetes gramineus) [*]

Though we heard a couple along Wylie Road, we never were able to get eyes on them.

SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)

As is often the case, we didn't encounter these grassland sparrows until we got to the Carden area, where they are the most regularly encountered sparrow, often sitting on the fences along the road.

SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)

Most years I see very few, if any, of these common birds at Pelee, so I was a bit surprised to have at least a few each day there.

LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii)

This secretive northern breeder can be pretty hit or miss on the trip. Happily for us, they were a hit, as a few had dropped in overnight before our full day at Long Point. We tallied about 10 that day, most of them at the old campground, where some of them showed very nicely, and that was the only day we saw these birds.

SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)

Though we heard a few in the marshes at Pelee, I think our first sighting was of one along Bennett Road at Rondeau. But these were most common up around Orillia, where there are plenty of suitable marshes, and plenty of these sparrows in those marshes.

EASTERN TOWHEE (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Seen in ones or twos pretty much daily at the Lake Erie hotspots, though they were at times furtive and tough to see well. They tend to be more numerous, and a little easier to see in the lovely grasslands of the Carden Alvar.

Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)

BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

I don't know if these wonderful birds had just not arrived in numbers yet, but all we managed this year was a single male along Wylie Road. Happily, he was quite close to the road and did put on a good show for us at least!

EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella magna)

Not usually seen before we get to the Carden region, but quite plentiful in the grasslands there, and we had no trouble seeing several and hearing their cheerful songs.

ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius)

For anyone wanting to add this species to their Canada list, there's no better place than Point Pelee. That said, this was not a particularly good spring for them, and we saw just one or two birds daily at the park, where some springs they're far more numerous.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula)

It says something about the abundance of this beautiful oriole that our tally of nearly 120 of them was probably a little below average for this trip! There almost always seemed to be a few of them around, often below eye level and close to the trail!

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Quite possibly the most abundant bird of the trip, but there's no way to be certain as I gave up even trying to estimate their numbers after our first morning.

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)

Red-wings, grackles, and cowbirds are pretty much always around, though there generally are far fewer cowbirds than the other two

RUSTY BLACKBIRD (Euphagus carolinus)

An early migrant that we usually miss as there are generally very few lingering here by the time we arrive. We actually had two different birds on our first day, with nice looks at one in a swampy section along the Tilden's Woods boardwalk, and a singing bird in a group of Red-winged Blackbirds in a scrubby ditch next to where we parked to go see the avocet.

COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)

Lots daily, but one deserves special mention. We were looking at frogs from the viewing platform at the Port Rowan wetlands (being as there were almost no birds), when we herd a splash nearby, and looked up to see a grackle in a small shrub with a freshly caught bullfrog tadpole in its beak. It made pretty short work of the massive tadpole, then got in position again along the edge of the pond. After just a couple of seconds, it plunged beak first into several inches of water, going completely under for a brief moment, before emerging with another huge, wriggly tadpole!

Parulidae (New World Warblers)

OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapilla)

More often heard than seen, and I don't know if we ever had a single bird that showed itself for the whole group, but I think most of you saw one eventually.

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia noveboracensis)

An odd, loud warbler song near the Pony Barn at Rondeau caught my attention, and I wondered if it might be a Connecticut Warbler singing a variation of its normal song, but I wasn't sure, so I thought I'd test the Merlin app. Merlin identified the singer as a Connecticut, so we watched in anticipation, and finally the singer popped up where we could get a look, and it was this species! This was one of two we saw at Rondeau; elsewhere we only heard a couple.

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera)

We failed to track down a singing bird at Rondeau, but found a couple on some of their usual territories in the Carden Alvar, where we enjoyed fantastic looks at this beauty, which pushed Prothonotary Warbler out of the #1 spot on Jan's top 3 list.

BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora cyanoptera)

We often miss this one at the migrant hot spots, but pick it up on breeding territories in the Long Point area. This trip we did both, as we had nice looks at a migrant female near the Old Cut banding station, then had incredible eye level views of a brilliant male along the sand road in the St William's Tract the next day.

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia)

One of a handful of warblers we saw every day, though they were present in very small numbers during our time at Pelee, increasing at both Rondeau and Long Point. In total we tallied about 25 of them.

PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonotaria citrea)

Not that many years ago this was a much tougher bird to get on this tour, and we usually got to Rondeau still needing to find this species. Lately though, they seem to be getting more reliable at Pelee, and once again this year we saw up to three of them easily and incredibly well along the Woodland Nature Trail, as well as a single bird in a swampy stretch in Tilden's Woods. Which is just as well, as the pair along Rondeau's Tulip Tree Trail was a no-show for us! These lovely birds topped Laura's list of favorites for the tour.

TENNESSEE WARBLER (Leiothlypis peregrina)

These usually peak a little later, and with the delayed migration this year, I think we were fortunate to find any at all. We had just two, one at Madbin Jina (Pelee), the other near the Pony Barn at Rondeau.

NASHVILLE WARBLER (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)

One of the earlier migrant warblers, but with the delayed migration, we saw more than usual at Pelee (where they can easily be missed). Of course, 2/3 of our sightings were from a single morning's walk at Madbin Jina, where we tallied around 20 of them. And they sure didn't stick around, as we saw none the following day! We did have a few stragglers at Rondeau and Long Point as well.

MOURNING WARBLER (Geothlypis philadelphia)

A female in the old campground at Long Point PP did her best to give us the slip, but with the help of a trio of young birders we bumped into there, I think we all got some reasonable looks at this often difficult warbler.

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)

A breeding bird at Pelee, and one of the few warblers we saw daily, usually in low numbers, though they seemed to be on the increase as the week progressed.

HOODED WARBLER (Setophaga citrina)

Like the Blue-winged and Golden-winged, we often don't see this warbler at the migrant spots, but rely on finding them on territory in the Long Point region. We were perhaps a bit lucky, as some breeding areas we passed through seemed to be devoid of Hoodies, but an old reliable male in Backus Woods was back on his spot earlier than most, and we enjoyed some great looks at him there.

AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla)

I think this might be the first time that we missed seeing this common species at Pelee (though I did hear one singing at Madbin Jina), but we made up for this by seeing plenty of them at both Rondeau and Long Point, including a few 1st-year males that look superficially like females, but usually with a few random black feathers on their breasts or faces.

CAPE MAY WARBLER (Setophaga tigrina)

Almost never very numerous, and our total of 11 was probably a bit higher than average. Aside from our first, a single bird at Rondeau, all of our sightings were at Long Point, where we had some excellent views of these beauties.

NORTHERN PARULA (Setophaga americana)

We had this species daily, though only a few each day at Pelee. Numbers increased once we got to Rondeau, then even more at Long Point. When seen well, as we did numerous times, this species is a little stunner.

MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Setophaga magnolia)

Though our tally of 14 of these glorious warblers was not the poorest showing ever (I missed it altogether on one trip!), there were far fewer than normal. Still, many of those 14 gave wonderful views, so I'm certainly not complaining. The majority of our birds were at Long Point, with just one seen at Pelee (Madbin Jina), and 3 at Rondeau. Kerry chose the Maggie as her favorite bird of the trip.

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (Setophaga castanea)

While several of the warblers were around in lower than usual numbers, this was not one of them. We rarely see more than a handful of these, sometimes just one or two. So this trip's count of 11 was pretty good, and considering that many were beautiful males showing amazingly well, we did all right with these. All of our sightings came from Rondeau and Long Point.

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Setophaga fusca)

For perhaps the first time ever, we left Pelee without having seen one of these spectacular birds. And at first it seemed like Rondeau wasn't going to improve the situation, as I heard almost no warbler song as we drove into the park. So when we stopped and got out of the van, I was enormously relieved that the very first bird I saw was an exquisite male Blackburnian! And it was just the first of many that day. They seemed to be everywhere, and often feeding at eye level just a few meters away. Apart from the ones at Rondeau, we had a handful of others at Long Point. I'm still amazed that no one picked this as their favorite, bird, but maybe we just saw too many?

YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia)

As always, there were way more of these seen than any other warbler. They are a breeder at Pelee (and everywhere else) and a common one at that. Our Ebird lists show a grand total of 261 birds recorded but there were a number of lists that I didn't record numbers on, so 300+ is not an overestimate. The nice thing about this bird, is even when the birding is slow, there is always one of these around to brighten the day!

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (Setophaga pensylvanica)

The single bird at Pelee was a bit unexpected as they are usually pretty common here, but we made up for that with loads of fabulous looks at both Rondeau and Long Point, cementing this lovely bird at the #1 position on the top bird lists for both Barbara and Sarah.

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (Setophaga caerulescens)

These dapper warblers were seen daily in pretty small numbers, other than our first morning at Long Point where they were quite numerous and we saw 20+, more than half our total for the week!

PALM WARBLER (Setophaga palmarum)

Though we usually get this species, we rarely see many, as we generally pick up just a couple of stragglers of this early migrant. Our tally of 9 on this trip was higher than average and included some fine views of these tail-wagging warblers at both Rondeau and Long Point.

PINE WARBLER (Setophaga pinus)

Among the earliest of the migrant warblers, and a bird I've rarely seen at Pelee so getting decent views of a singing bird in a White Pine at Madbin Jina was a great. Our only other record was a heard-only bird at the Hooded Warbler spot near Long Point, where they are a common breeder.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Setophaga coronata)

Quite a few of these were still around, perhaps more than usual due to the delayed migration. Especially prominent on our best migration days at Rondeau and Long Point.

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Setophaga virens)

Like many of our warblers, these were most numerous on the two best migrant days at Rondeau and Long Point, though we did have some fantastic close looks at several glowing males at Pelee as well.

Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)

SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga olivacea)

Seeing our first male shortly after arriving at Rondeau was a real treat, especially as we'd seen none in our 3 days at Pelee. Getting looks at another 8-10 the following day at Long Point was even better!

NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)

A common resident in southern Ontario, and we saw a few birds daily on the tour.

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

I think we pretty much hit the peak of grosbeak migration, as we were tallying 15-20 daily in the migrant hotspots along the Lake Erie shore, with plenty of chance to soak in their beauty!

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MAMMALS

EASTERN COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus floridanus)

A few at Rondeau and Long Point, with just a single crossing the road ahead of the van at Pelee.

PLAIN EASTERN CHIPMUNK (Tamias striatus)

I've never seen one at Pelee, but these are common in the more mature forests at Rondeau and Long Point.

WOODCHUCK (Marmota monax)

A couple on the outskirts of London as we detoured to the airport to pick up my tardy cooler.

EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL (Sciurus carolinensis)

A common, everyday species.

RED SQUIRREL (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Our only one was seen on both days at Old Cut, peering out of a nest box that was probably meant for Carolina Wrens.

MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica)

A couple in Big Creek Marsh on our dusk visit.

NORTHERN RACCOON (Procyon lotor)

The one at Rondeau was fun! We saw it wandering up the road at lunch, heading for the bird feeders, and paused at the base of a pole holding some feeders, but protected by a couple of large baffles. No sooner had I stated that there was no way it would get past the baffles when it hopped up on the first, grabbing the top lip, then shoving its head up inside the upper cone and shimmying up the pole while pushing it upwards. Finally it reached the top and reached out to the feeders, grabbing handfuls of seeds and stuffing its face over and over. Clearly it had done this before!

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HERPS

COMMON GARTERSNAKE (Thamnophis sirtalis)

One at Pelee, another at Rondeau.

NORTHERN WATERSNAKE (Nerodia sipedon)

Though the fellow that pointed these out to us in front of the viewing platform on the Deslaurier boardwalk insisted they were Eastern Fox Snakes, they were actually a pair of these much more widespread snakes. The snakes, a large female and a significantly smaller male, were in the process of mating and seemed to not notice all the humans watching a few feet away.

AMERICAN BULLFROG (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Lots of monster tadpoles in the Port Rowan Wetlands, with a handful of big adults, too.

GREEN FROG (Lithobates clamitans)

One of the most numerous frogs in the province, though we saw just a couple in the ponds in front of the Pelee Visitor Center.

PAINTED TURTLE (Chrysemys picta)

The most common turtle in the area. We saw several along the Deslaurier Trail and at Long Point.

AMERICAN TOAD (Anaxyrus americanus)

They were plenty vocal in the swamp forests at Pelee, but we only saw one hopping across the trail in Tilden's Woods.

GRAY TREEFROG (Hyla versicolor) [*]

Heard only at Rondeau and Long Point.

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Totals for the tour: 158 bird taxa and 7 mammal taxa