I've done quite a number of these spring Pelee tours now, and I must say that this was one of the more challenging ones from a birding perspective. The biggest factor in this was the exceptionally early leaf out of the trees. Normally on this tour, most of the trees are leafless, with many just beginning to bud. This means that not only are the birds that are feeding high in the trees easier to see, but also that many are feeding much closer to the ground, where there is plenty of leafy foliage and flowers attracting insects to dine on. This year's conditions had the birds feeding mainly high up in the trees, where the leafy branches made them much more challenging to see.
The viewing challenges were compounded by the fact that there just weren't all that many birds dropping in to the park overnight. Despite the fact that the nights we were there saw high migrational movements, the favorable migration conditions allowed many migrants to continue northward rather than dropping to the first land they came to upon crossing the lake. Good for the birds, not as good for the birdwatchers. That's not to say there were no birds there. None of our three days came anywhere close to my slowest days at the park. We just had to work a little harder than usual to get the views we wanted. On the plus side, the weather was incredibly pleasant throughout, making it a joy just to be outside in nature!
I'm going to keep the rest of this brief and mention just a few highlights, as you can read more detailed info in the following list, but here are a few of the standouts: the fantastic solo performance of the male American Woodcock behind our hotel each evening at Leamington; the pair of Virginia Rails strolling across the road at the Carden Alvar; the amazing looks we had at Pileated Woodpeckers feeding on the ground at Rondeau; the gorgeous grasslands at Carden, with all their bubbling Bobolinks and wolf-whistling Upland Sandpipers; multiple gorgeous Prothonotary Warblers in the swamp forests at Pelee and Rondeau; and the usual show-stoppers like Blackburnian, Golden-winged and Cape May warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Scarlet Tanagers scattered across the various migration hot spots.
This trip was a little bittersweet for me, as I already know I won't be returning next year, but I feel I'm going out on a high note, as it was such fun guiding you all on this tour. Your positivity and obvious enjoyment of our days in the field made this a delightful trip to lead, despite the challenges, and I thank you all for making it so. And my hiatus is only temporary, as I'll be back at Pelee in 2026! Happy birding, and I look forward to another tour with each of you sometime ahead.
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis)
Almost everywhere and seen daily. Appropriate, as this is Canada after all!
MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor) [I]
A pair were seen frequently as we drove past the marsh at the north end of Point Pelee, and plenty were in the Big Creek Marsh at Long Point.
TRUMPETER SWAN (Cygnus buccinator) [I]
A reintroduction program has brought these swans back to Ontario, after a 200 year hiatus. They are fairly common now, and we had a pair at Hillman Marsh on our first visit there.
WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa)
Seen regularly at the three Lake Erie sites, as well as in the Carden region. Best views may have been of the tree-perching birds at the old provincial park at Long Point.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Spatula discors)
A couple of drakes were at Hillman, and a pair at Big Creek on our evening visit to the marsh.
GADWALL (Mareca strepera)
Fairly numerous at Hillman, where there were at least 18 birds present on our first visit, and a dozen on the second.
AMERICAN WIGEON (Mareca americana)
Surprisingly large numbers at Hillman, with 19 on the first visit, then only 6 remaining a couple of days later.
MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos)
While most of our other dabbling ducks were seen mainly (or only) at Hillman, this common species was seen all over the place, whether or not there was any water present.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (AMERICAN) (Anas crecca carolinensis)
Three handsome drakes were at Hillman on our first afternoon, with a fourth one joining them when we revisited a couple of days later.
GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila)
Along with most of the other early migrants, almost all the diving ducks had also departed for points north. We saw just 3 scaup in total, a distant unidentified pair seen from the Point Pelee Tip on one day, and a single one of these there the next. It was mainly identifiable by the long, white wing stripe extending into the primaries.
COMMON MERGANSER (Mergus merganser)
A trio of these were seen from the van as we crossed between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching in Orillia on our final morning.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator)
These mergansers are often present at the Tip at this time of year, and we saw about 40 of them, but I think there were only 2 adult males amongst them. We had them each day at Pelee, with the 40 birds turning up suddenly at a feeding frenzy that was also attended by gulls, terns, cormorants, and the next species.
RUDDY DUCK (Oxyura jamaicensis)
A pair of these joined the fishing frenzy at the Tip, the male quite handsome despite not being in full breeding colors.
WILD TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo)
The reintroduction program, started in the 1980's, seems to have been a success, as we recorded turkeys daily on the tour.
RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus) [*]
Charlotte and I may have been the only ones to pick up the sound of a drumming bird as we birded at a small marsh in the Carden area on our final morning.
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I]
Happily not so many!
MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)
A common, everyday bird on this tour.
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)
Cuckoos can be pretty hit or miss on this tour, so hitting on this species was a nice bonus. We had two different birds in the Maintenance Loop area of Rondeau PP. Neither was especially close, but the scope views were good! We also heard one at the old field habitat near Backus Woods, and another in the distance on our final morning in the Carden Alvar.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor)
Fantastic studies of one roosting right over the road to the Tip at Pelee, the bird doing some odd, shuffling movements a few times for no obvious reasons. The following day we came across a crowd of birders photographing another roosting bird along the Tilden's Woods Trail.
EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL (Antrostomus vociferus)
We thought these were going to be easy when we heard some calling nearby as soon as we pulled up to our whip-poor-will spot in the Long Point region. We hurried to where the birds were calling, only to find that it was some researchers from the banding station using playback to try to lure the birds in to capture and band! Happily, one of them told us where we could find a male that liked to sing from the top rail of a split rail fence, and sure enough, there he was! We managed to get some decent looks, though he didn't seem to like a spotlight on him and never stayed put for long once we tried to light him up for better views.
CHIMNEY SWIFT (Chaetura pelagica)
Quite a few were flying around the Tip at Pelee one morning, with some flying south over the lake in a reverse migration event. Others were seen at the other two lakefront parks, as well as in the towns of Blenheim and Simcoe, where the chimneys of the old brick buildings are desirable nesting spots.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus colubris)
A few folks saw one near the Madbin Jina picnic area at Pelee one morning, but it escaped the rest of us. The next day we had three birds fly off the Tip heading southward, and a couple more were seen by some of the group at Rondeau PP.
VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)
At least 4 birds were calling in the Sedge Wren Marsh along Wylie Road on our late afternoon visit, and we managed to coax one pair into crossing the road a couple of times for some smashing looks!
SORA (Porzana carolina) [*]
Heard on 3 different days, though none seemed interested in showing itself. Most amusing was the bird along Tilden's Woods Trail at Pelee, as it whinnied in response to Betsy loudly crushing her soda can underfoot!
SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis)
Poor views of one flying by at Hillman the first afternoon were improved upon by a vocal bird making a couple of passes overhead along Rondeau's South Point Trail. We also had a pair fly by at Big Creek Marsh during our evening visit, and heard some distant birds along Wylie Road.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola)
The shorebird spectacle on our first afternoon at Hillman was pretty mediocre, with the lowest number of shorebirds I've ever seen there, though a dozen of these dapper birds kept it from being a complete dud. Two days later, the difference was amazing, as the place was alive with birds, including roughly 750 Black-bellied Plovers! I was trying to do an accurate count, and was at 500 roughly 2/3 of the way through the flock when I was distracted by the calls of a pair of incoming Willets.
KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus)
A very common species here, though oddly we managed to miss it one day.
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus)
The peak of this plover's migration was still to come, and we had only a few, with a couple at the Tip one morning, then at least 7 among the throngs of shorebirds at Hillman the next afternoon.
UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda)
These lovely sandpipers can be tricky to find, but it wasn't the case this year. John, who was riding shotgun on our morning at the Carden Alvar, spotted our first right on the edge of the road. I hit the brakes as hard as I dared, but couldn't stop until we were right beside it, and amazingly, it didn't flush, but it was too close for most to see. When I backed up, it did fly, but only a few feet up the road, so we were all able to get great looks. We had at least 5 other individuals that morning, including some nice looks as they perched on fenceposts, a split rail fence, and even the power lines!
WHIMBREL (Numenius phaeopus)
These were a first for me on this tour, and only the 2nd time I've seen them in Ontario, the first being 10 years ago! We followed up on a report from Wheatley Harbor, and found 2 birds perched on the offshore rocks there, then had 11 of them fly in to Hillman Marsh along with a couple of Willets, interrupting my count of Black-bellied Plovers.
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus)
Five birds were part of the very small shorebird flock on our first visit to Hillman, with at least twice that many on our second visit.
AMERICAN WOODCOCK (Scolopax minor)
The bird at our Leamington hotel performed like a champ, and those of us that went out on our first evening had some excellent looks as he "peented" in full view, before it was even dark. A couple of nights later we took another look to catch up those that hadn't gone out on the first night, and the performance was even better! We had walked up to a spot where we could see the bird, then stayed put once it made a display flight. When it came down again, it was even closer, and the next time, closer still!
WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)
Fewer than usual in the Carden region this year, though we still had a few nice looks and heard them winnowing as well.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)
Just a couple of these familiar shorebirds were seen at Pelee.
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes)
Three were amongst the throngs of shorebirds at Hillman.
WILLET (Tringa semipalmata)
An uncommon species here, so I understandably lost focus during my plover count when I heard the distinctive calls of a couple of these that were flying in to Hillman Marsh.
RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres)
About 25 of these striking shorebirds were seen at Wheatley Harbor when we stopped in to look for some reported Whimbrels on our first afternoon, with a couple more at Hillman on our second visit there.
SANDERLING (Calidris alba)
One with the turnstones on the beach at Wheatley Harbor, one at the Tip the next day, and 2, one in winter plumage, one in breeding, at the Tip the following day.
DUNLIN (Calidris alpina)
Usually the most numerous of the shorebirds at Hillman, and while this held true this trip, the numbers there on our first visit were by far the lowest I've ever seen there. On our second visit, they were back up to normal levels with about 500+ along the shoreline, many in full breeding plumage.
LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla)
Amazingly we saw just a single one on our first visit to Hillman.
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (Calidris pusilla)
And we had just a couple of distant ones of these at Hillman, as well, but these were on our second visit.
LITTLE GULL (Hydrocoloeus minutus)
A rare visitor to Pelee, this aptly-named gull was reported from the Tip on our first day, so we headed back out there the next morning, only to be told it had flown a few minutes earlier. We decided to wait it out, though, and not long after, a large number of birds began to gather just off the point to feed on a huge swarm of small fish, and we were able to pick out this gull amongst the many Bonaparte's. It was tough to get everyone on due to all the birds constantly being in motion, but I think most of the group were able to spot it by its smaller size, and the thick black bar on the upper wing.
BONAPARTE'S GULL (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
As usual, there were fair numbers of these roosting on the Tip each day, with most of them in non-breeding plumage. In fact, I think we only had a single one in full adult breeding plumage.
RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)
The default gull in most of the province away from the shores of the Great Lakes, but they were outnumbered by the next species at the Tip.
HERRING GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)
Seen daily at Pelee, where there were up to 50 of them roosting on the Tip. We also saw a darker-backed bird that I initially thought might be a Lesser Black-backed Gull, though I was puzzled by the fact that it appeared larger than the surrounding Herring Gulls. The puzzle was resolved when another birder there informed us it was a hybrid Herring X Great Black-backed.
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus)
Not overly common at Pelee at this time of year, but there was a lone juvenile loafing among the other gulls on the point.
BLACK TERN (Chlidonias niger)
Small numbers of these lovely terns were seen a few times offshore at Pelee, then we had even better looks during our evening walk at Big Creek Marsh. While we were on the viewing platform, a tern flew past with a fish in its bill, then dropped down into the cattails in front of us, flying back out a few seconds later alongside its mate, that we hadn't known was there at all. I would imagine they were working on a well-hidden nest there.
FORSTER'S TERN (Sterna forsteri)
I saw a couple off of Pelee one morning, but they were too far out to get anyone else on, as there were plenty of Common Terns present, too, but we did have a lone bird fly over Big Creek Marsh carrying a fish.
COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo)
Quite a few at the Tip each morning, with about 25-30 of them loafing alongside the Bonaparte's Gulls.
COMMON LOON (Gavia immer)
Our lone sighting was of a bird flying overhead across the point as we birded down towards the Tip.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Nannopterum auritum)
Numerous offshore at Pelee, with a few birds off of Rondeau's South Point Trail, too.
AMERICAN BITTERN (Botaurus lentiginosus)
I spotted one in the Sedge Wren Marsh on our afternoon visit to Wylie Road, but all we could see was the head of it emerging from among the tall cattails. The net day, though, we had fantastic looks of a bird flying low overhead, shortly before we had to head back to Orillia to begin making our way to the airport for flights home.
GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens)
Beautiful studies of a bird that flew in and landed in a tree above one of the campsites in the old provincial park at Long Point, with a couple of flyovers in the Carden region as well.
GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba)
One at Hillman Marsh on our first visit, then up to three feeding together along the causeway at Big Creek Marsh.
GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)
Seen almost daily, with a flock of 6 birds flying over the Tip on our first morning at Pelee being our first.
WHITE-FACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi)
Our second visit to Hillman was much more successful than the first. Not only was the parking a breeze, as we were among the first to arrive after the newly-graded lot was reopened, but this bird, reported earlier in the day, was showing well, along with hordes of shorebirds. This was a new Ontario bird for me, and the rarer of the two Plegadis ibis in the province. Interestingly, this bird has since been joined at Hillman by 10 Glossy Ibis!
TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)
Daily in good numbers.
OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus)
One flew over as we took a break in the picnic area along the VC parking lot at Pelee, with another seen flying over near Orillia.
NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus hudsonius)
A male flew low over the Sedge Wren Marsh on our afternoon visit to Wylie Road, and the next morning we saw what was very likely the same bird a little further south of the marsh.
BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Our first sighting was memorable, as we had a group of 5 of them, just one an adult, soaring together over the Woodland Trail at Pelee. We went on to see quite a few others, though mainly while we weren't actively birding, but driving, or having lunch.
RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)
Our only sightings of these were while we were on the road near Toronto, and on the way up and back from Orillia.
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL (Megascops asio)
Another birding group had pointed out an alleged roosting hole south of the Visitor Center, so on our evening return to the park, we decided to have a look, and the bird was there peeking out of the hollow, though between the camouflage and the fading light, it wasn't a spectacular view. The next day, a friend told me of another roosting out in the open at Sleepy Hollow, and since Joan had not been with us the previous evening, we went for a look, and easily found the bird sitting next to the trunk of a large cedar. Both birds were gray morphs, which seems to be the most common one here.
BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon)
Singles were seen at each of the three Erie lakeshore parks we birded.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)
A male flew past the parking area along Wylie Road, followed a moment later by a female flying in the same direction. I suspected they might be nesting nearby, but we couldn't stick around long enough to find out as we were nearing the end of our final morning of birding.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Our only sighting was of a lone bird flying high overhead as we waited for our first Prothonotary Warbler to show up along Pelee's Woodland Nature Trail.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes carolinus)
Though we recorded these daily at the Lake Erie hot spots, we never found any one bird to be really cooperative. We did have several sightings at Pelee, though, including one right down at the Tip our first morning that made a couple of flights out over the lake as part of a small reverse migration that was taking place.
DOWNY WOODPECKER (Dryobates pubescens)
Along with the flicker, this is the most common woodpecker in southern Ontario, and we had a few of these each day.
HAIRY WOODPECKER (Dryobates villosus)
Our only one was seen briefly in flight as it crossed over a small marsh in the Carden region.
PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)
Brilliant views at Rondeau, where we first found one feeding in the middle of a grassy park lawn at our initial rest stop shortly after we arrived. That would have been more than enough to satisfy us, but we then had another along the Tulip Tree Trail that was hammering at a dead log on the ground, once again in full sight. We enjoyed fantastic looks at that one, too, while its mate flew by a few times in the background. A much-wanted bird for a couple of folks.
NORTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus)
A common bird here, seen daily in small numbers, including a couple at probable nest holes.
AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)
A rather scarce and declining bird in the province these days. If we see one at all on this tour, it's usually in the Carden Alvar region, but this year we found a male on a roadside wire as we drove one of the side roads in the Long Point region.
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (Contopus cooperi)
Charlotte and I saw a bird back through the trees as we looked for the Hooded Warbler at the Sanctuary picnic area, but it flew off before I could point it out to anyone else. We may have heard another singing a partial song along South Point Trail at Rondeau, but I suspect it was actually the Red-eyed Vireo that was singing nearby. I have heard vireos imitate the flycatcher before, and a quick online search revealed that this has been previously documented, and that the initial note, the "quick" is usually not included in the vireo's imitation, as was the case with our bird. All this to say, the one at Pelee was almost certainly our only one of the trip.
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus virens)
After the kingbird, this was the most commonly recorded flycatcher, and we heard them, at least, every day, and had several very nice sightings, including our first along the Redbud Trail at Pelee.
ALDER FLYCATCHER (Empidonax alnorum)
A few of these Empids were present in the marshes around Orillia, and we had several good looks at singing birds, which allowed us to confidently rule out the very similar Willow Flycatcher.
LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)
Empids were scarce this trip, and this was the only species we recorded at Pelee, though most of us never saw one there (Elisa did get a photo of one there). We finally did get our eyes on one in the old provincial park at Long Point.
EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe) [N]
Seen only along Wylie Road, where one bird (at least we only saw one) was attending a nest in the bird hide.
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus crinitus)
Very vocal, and we heard these daily, but they were a bit hard to see with the emergence of leaves being so advanced this year. We did finally get good looks at a bird perched in a dead tree over the parking lot at Backus Woods.
EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus)
By far the most numerous flycatchers, and we saw fair numbers every day of the trip.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Vireo flavifrons)
These attractive vireos breed sparingly in the southern parts of the province, and Rondeau, in particular, is a good place to find them. We heard a couple as we walked the park's trails in the morning, then finally caught up with a pair after lunch along the start of the Tulip Tree Trail. The birds were feeding very low, right down to the ground at times, in a fairly open part of the forest, and really gave us some incredible views.
PHILADELPHIA VIREO (Vireo philadelphicus)
We had half a dozen of these during our day at Rondeau, including one bird that showed beautifully as it foraged at eye level in the shrubs along the start of the South Point Trail. Our only other one was a single bird in the new provincial park at Long Point.
WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gilvus)
As always, this was the most numerous vireo of the trip, with a final tally of more than 50 recorded over the course of the trip.
RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus)
This was a bit of an odd year for this common bird, as they usually peak after our tour has run, and we often see surprisingly few, and mainly towards the end of our week. This year, however, they seemed to be ahead of schedule, and we tallied at least one bird every day of the trip.
BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata) [N]
Common, and recorded daily, though perhaps not quite as numerous as they often are. This is one of the species that can often be seen doing reverse migration flights off the Tip, and we did see a few small flocks making several forays out over the lake before circling back. We also found a pair building a nest near the roosting screech-owl at Sleepy Hollow, incorporating a large amount of plastic debris into their nest. We also had a quick look at what appeared to be an entirely white individual moving through the woods at Pelee's tip, but it moved off quickly and as far as I know was not seen again in the park by anyone.
AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
I think I recorded my first American Crow at Point Pelee just a couple of years ago, though they are commonly seen in the agricultural areas just outside of the park. But we did see a single bird each day in the park this year (the same individual, perhaps?) as well as small numbers through the rest of the tour.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (Poecile atricapillus)
Though these familiar birds are never numerous at Pelee, I don't think I've ever missed them in the park before this trip. We did finally catch up with a single bird along the South Point Trail at Rondeau, and a few more at Long Point, but this may have been my lowest total ever for this trip.
HORNED LARK (Eremophila alpestris) [*]
We could hear one singing during our stop for the kestrel near Long Point, but never did manage to spot it.
TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor) [N]
Very common and seen in good numbers daily, including plenty of birds using nest boxes placed out for other species. One pair was even squabbling with a male Prothonotary Warbler over a nest box along the trail into Tilden's Woods.
PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis)
While this large swallow may be declining in many areas, it's heartening to see that the relatively new nesting structures (artificial gourds) are teeming with martins. The setup in front of the Bird Studies Canada headquarters in Port Rowan was especially active, though the smaller one at Old Cut had quite a few martins as well.
BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) [N]
Common and seen in good numbers daily, with the ones nesting at the shuttle stop at Point Pelee's tip being especially cooperative. They seem to have gotten so accustomed to birders there that they pretty much ignored all the humans, with several landing on the road edge to gather mud just a few feet away from where we stood.
CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
Never numerous on this tour, but we found a couple among the other swallows feeding over the beach at Wheatley Harbor, then a single bird over the harbor at Port Rowan as we enjoyed our picnic lunch.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Corthylio calendula)
Though the number of early migrants still lingering in the south at this time of year can vary a lot from year to year, the numbers of them this year was the lowest I've yet seen on the tour. We usually expect at least a handful of these tiny migrants, but we barely even got one, as our lone sighting was a quick look at one bird at Rondeau.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta carolinensis)
We heard one of these nuthatches shortly after we got off the tram at the halfway stop, but the only sighting was of a bird seen by everyone but me, I think, as it fed at the Rondeau visitor center feeders while I was busy preparing our picnic lunch.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis)
Another early migrant that was nearly missing altogether this year, and our only record was of a calling bird at the St. Williams tract near Long Point.
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila caerulea)
Recorded daily at all the Lake Erie shoreline hotspots, with our best views coming along Pelee's Woodland Nature Trail where we had a pair building a nest in a shrub right next to the trail.
HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)
A daily bird, and we saw plenty, with especially good views of a pair near the Tip that were investigating a hole in a tree just over the trail as a possible nest site. The male seemed far too intent on loudly proclaiming his turf to pay any attention to the nearby humans, and belted out his song from not much more than a meter over our heads.
MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)
Initially I thought Big Creek Marsh was devoid of these wrens despite the acres of good habitat, but we finally heard several calling from one small corner of the marsh. Though we failed to see them there, we did get some good looks at a couple of territorial ones in a roadside marsh near Orillia, then heard several more in the Sedge Wren Marsh, which might need to be renamed.
CAROLINA WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
We heard these wrens daily at Pelee, and managed a couple of good sightings of singing birds with our best being along the Redbud Footpath. We also encountered a few at Rondeau, and heard one singing at Fishers Glen near Long Point.
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]
We managed to not see any on 2/3 days at Pelee, so that's something!
GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)
Recorded in small numbers daily, though they seemed less conspicuous than usual. Perhaps they were just tougher to see given how exceptionally leafy it was for this time of year.
BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufum)
Seen only up in the Carden region, where there seemed to be far fewer than usual, or at least far less conspicuous.
EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis) [N]
We had quick looks at one from the van at Rondeau, but it vanished when we got out to try to improve our views. But we saw them very well up in the Carden Alvar, where several pairs were busy constructing nests in the nesting boxes that weren't occupied by Tree Swallows.
VEERY (Catharus fuscescens)
Brown thrushes were in fairly short supply this trip. This was the most numerous of the species, but that's not saying much, and we heard more than we saw, but we did have a couple of good looks at Pelee, with our first spotted sitting quietly near the road as we walked up from the Tip on our first morning.
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH (Catharus minimus)
It looked like we we going to miss this uncommon migrant, but we pulled one out at pretty much the last likely opportunity when we found one foraging along with several other species in a wet swale behind one of the campsites at the new park in Long Point.
SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus)
Though we recorded more Veeries than this species, we probably saw about the same number of them, but they were certainly not numerous. We had singles at two different sites at Pelee on our final day there, then saw several feeding in the trees along the Tulip Tree Trail at Rondeau.
WOOD THRUSH (Hylocichla mustelina)
These were also down in number; though we rarely see many, we do usually hear their gorgeous song more regularly. Happily, the lone bird we saw in Tilden's Woods not only showed well, it also treated us to a couple of musical phrases as it sat in the open not far above one of the seasonal footpaths.
AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius) [N]
Outside of the trio of Red-winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, and Yellow Warbler, this was probably the most abundant Passerine we saw, with many seen daily, including a bunch on nests.
CEDAR WAXWING (Bombycilla cedrorum)
We had a few small flocks at Pelee and Rondeau, but there seemed to be a good push of them on our first day at Long Point, where they were the most numerous species in the old park, and seemed to make up the bulk of the birds captured in the mist nets at the Old Cut banding station.
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]
Seen daily, though I think the only one within Pelee was a female at the Tip tram stop.
HOUSE FINCH (Haemorhous mexicanus) [I]
Heard fairly regularly, and seen at least once, in the hotel parking lot at Leamington.
PURPLE FINCH (Haemorhous purpureus)
We spotted a pair moving through the trees along the roadside as we drove up Wylie Road on our afternoon there, and then got some super views of the male after we got out. These birds regularly breed in the area, but are easy to miss on a short visit like ours.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (Spinus tristis)
We saw only one male at Pelee, as we walked north from the Tip on our first morning, then saw them in small numbers daily after we'd moved on from that park.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodramus savannarum)
I've been relying on finding these birds on the same territory in the Long Point region for 6+ years now, and I'm happy to say they have not disappointed me yet. This visit one was singing as we pulled in to the parking area, and not long after we spotted him atop a small shrub, a perch I'm pretty sure I've seen him on before! We heard a couple of others elsewhere in the region, as well as along Wylie Road.
CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)
At Pelee, we only saw these on our first day, with a couple near the Tip, and one at the parking lot for Hillman. Once we left the park, we saw small numbers each day.
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Spizella pallida) [*]
We miss this species more often than not, and came close to missing it this trip, until we heard one as we were driving back down Wylie Road to head back to Orillia on our final morning. If we hadn't been on a tight schedule, we might have been able to get out and look for it. I think this might have been my first ever at Carden.
FIELD SPARROW (Spizella pusilla)
Old field habitat is where you need to go to find this sparrow, and that's where we found them. First at the same site as our cooperative Grasshopper Sparrow, where we heard 3 singing their distinctive bouncing ball song, and saw one well, then again in the Carden Alvar, where we saw and heard several more.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Though this and the next species are both early migrants, we generally expect to see a number of lingering migrants in the south. Numbers of both species were remarkably low this year, the lowest I've ever seen. We had a grand total of only 4 of each species. Two of our White-crowns were seen on the bike path at Madbin Jina with one more at Sanctuary (I think) the next day, and one feeding on the edge of the picnic area during our lunch at Rondeau the day after that.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Our only one at Pelee was a single bird in Tilden's Woods, and that didn't show very well at all. Our only other sighting was of two in the same wet area as our Gray-cheeked Thrush at Long Point, though we also heard one at dusk at the whip-poor-will site.
SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)
We heard quite a few in the Carden Alvar, but only had quality looks at one that Joan spotted perched atop a tall tree at quite a distance.We weren't actually sure that it was this species until we watched it take off and fly towards us, ultimately landing on the power line nearby for some good views.
SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)
Given how many of these I generally encounter when doing bird surveys for my friend's consulting firm, it always surprises me how few there seem to be in Pelee. We had just one pair in the park, near the beach at the Sanctuary picnic area. After we left the park, we encountered them daily.
LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii)
We rarely encounter many on this tour, and sometimes miss them altogether, as they are a later migrant and quite secretive. As a group we saw just one, but fortunately we saw it well as it fed in the open on the edge of the South Point Trail at Rondeau. I did see another at the new provincial park at Long Point, but I don't think anyone else got on it.
SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)
Though we heard a few in suitable habitats in the south, it wasn't until we got to the marshes around Orillia and the Carden Alvar that we finally saw these birds. They proved to be quite elusive first thing in the morning, but became much more visible as the sun started to warm things up, and we ended up with some very nice looks at several.
EASTERN TOWHEE (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
One along the West Beach footpath was seen only by a couple of us before it disappeared, and other singing birds at Rondeau and Long Point stayed out of sight, so we had to wait until the Carden region to finally get some decent looks at these birds. Luckily they're quite common in the alvar, and a few good looks, including one singing from the top of the same bare tree that the Golden-winged Warbler seemed to prefer.
BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
A regular breeder in the grasslands of the Carden Alvar, where we had some great looks at a few males performing flight displays and singing their bubbly songs.
EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella magna)
Quite numerous in the alvar, where we saw and heard good numbers of them.
ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius)
Never anywhere near as numerous as the next species, but probably more common and easily seen at Pelee than anywhere else in Ontario (and Canada, as a whole). We saw a few each day at Pelee, and a few more at Rondeau, but most surprising was finding a singing adult male near the blind along Wylie Road, and hearing another a little further south along the road. This is right at the northern edge of their breeding range in Ontario and this was my first sighting here.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula)
Abundant at Pelee, where we tallied 50+ birds daily, with plenty of excellent views despite the leafiness of the trees. Numbers were a bit smaller at Rondeau (~20+) and then significantly lower at Long Point and the Carden region, though we did have a few each day.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Though these were common throughout the trip, they are especially numerous at Pelee, where they become a bit annoying after a while as they can be distracting. Joan announced on the second day that she wasn't going to look at any more Red-wings, but the only way she could have succeeded would have been to keep her eyes closed the entire time.
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)
Though nowhere near as numerous as the above, these were still present in decent numbers on a daily basis. The group of males that were trying hard to get the attention of a female that was foraging right at our feet near the Tip was especially memorable. And at Rondeau, we saw a female enter the nest of a Baltimore Oriole, though I wasn't convinced it was a nest from this season.
COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)
Numbers of this common bird fell somewhere between cowbirds and Red-wings.
OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapilla)
Tough at the migration hotspots, though we did hear a few. We finally got great looks of one at Backus Woods, where we spotted one singing spontaneously from an open limb over the parking area as soon as we got out of the van. It stayed put for all of us to get long views through the scope before it finally changed perches. We saw one more the next day as it fed in a wet area behind one of the campsites at Long Point along with the Gray-cheeked Thrush and a few other species.
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia noveboracensis) [*]
While watching the Ovenbird mentioned above at Long Point, we heard one of these singing loudly from further back in the thicket, and had hopes that it might eventually wander in, but though we waited for quite a while, it never made an appearance.
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera)
Near the parking lot at Hillman, we heard a singing bird that had been reported as this species earlier in the day, but failed to see it. When someone did finally get eyes on it later that afternoon, they discovered that it was a hybrid between this and the next species, though apparently neither of the two recognized hybrids, Brewster's and Lawrence's. But we did hear another, and had excellent views of it, as it sang spontaneously from a dead tree along the roadside in the Carden Alvar.
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora cyanoptera)
Fantastic looks at two gorgeous males on two consecutive days in different parts of the Long Point region, with others heard at a couple of spots in the Carden Alvar, one of which was occupying a territory which has a Golden-winged most years.
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia)
Never really numerous, though on most trips we manage to see a few most days. But as with almost all of the warblers this year, the overall numbers were much lower than usual, and we never saw more than one on any given day, though we had nice looks at our first on the first morning at the Tip, another with a small party of other warblers on the Tilden's Woods Trail, and one in the old park at Long Point.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonotaria citrea)
Just 10 years ago, this dazzling warbler was far from a sure thing on this tour, and it wasn't uncommon to leave Pelee with having seen one, pinning our hopes of finding one at Rondeau. Happily now they seem to be doing much better at Pelee, perhaps in part due to the many nest boxes placed out for them in suitable swamp forest spots, and I almost expect to see a few there. And we did just that this year, getting super looks at what was certainly 4 different males at Pelee, then finding another along the Tulip Tree Trail at Rondeau. We watched the latter bird foraging in the foliage above, then dropping to the ground to devour what appeared to be a large adult ant lion a few yards away from where we stood.
TENNESSEE WARBLER (Leiothlypis peregrina)
This was one of the only migrant warblers that was more numerous than it usually is, and we heard them, at least, every day, some days quite a lot of them. Seeing them was another story, as the abundance of leaves in the canopy made them very hard to spot, but we eventually did get a number of excellent views.
NASHVILLE WARBLER (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
Another early migrant that was in short supply this trip. We had just one sighting, a bird that flew in and landed low in the bushes behind the bathrooms at the Tip, foraging there for several minutes and showing pretty well. Besides that one, we heard another at Pelee, and one or two more along Wylie Road, where they breed, and that was all.
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas) [N]
One of the few warbler species that breed at Pelee, and consequently one of the more numerous ones. We saw these masked bandits daily throughout the trip, including one pair hard at work gathering nesting material in the Cactus Field at Pelee.
HOODED WARBLER (Setophaga citrina)
This handsome warbler breeds in Long Point region, and they can be pretty common, though I think that many birds had still not arrived. Happily, we only needed one, and that one, a reliable male at Backus Woods, was on his territory already. Another birding group was leaving the spot just as we were pulling in, and they might have warmed this guy up for us, as he began singing spontaneously as we were watching the Ovenbird, and we soon spotted him foraging low near the parking area, pausing several times on open perches to sing a few phrases and giving us all plenty of time to drink him in.
AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla)
Overall there were very few of these normally common birds. We had nice looks at our first, a dapper male, along the trail to Hillman Marsh. Best thing about that sighting was seeing the young boy getting so excited about it. I only recall seeing a couple of others, both first-year males, though we did hear a few more.
CAPE MAY WARBLER (Setophaga tigrina)
We usually expect this species only in small numbers, so our overall total of 11 birds was a pretty good showing. Our first was a gorgeous male feeding in a large cedar at the halfway point of the shuttle run to the Tip on our first morning. One other was seen at Long Point, with the bulk of our sightings coming on our final day at Pelee and our morning at Rondeau.
NORTHERN PARULA (Setophaga americana)
Overall numbers of this species were a little below average, but actual sightings were way down, with a number of singing birds that we just never spotted in the fully leafed-out trees. One of the few we did see, on our second morning at the Tip, showed quit nicely, at least.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Setophaga magnolia)
I think the main "Maggie" migration was still to come, as there were few about at Pelee, with just a single each day, but both Rondeau and Long Point provided a few more, and our best views, especially the repeated looks at a couple in the old park at Long Point.
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (Setophaga castanea)
Another of the few warblers seen in above average numbers this trip. We did very well with these, getting numerous fabulous views of beautiful males, Our first was one such male seen together with our first Cape May Warbler at Pelee, after which we had at least one, and usually several, each day at the Lake Erie migration hotspots.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Setophaga fusca)
I don't think these beauties had peaked yet, but we did see a handful each day at each of the Lake Erie shoreline sites, and we enjoyed a number of brilliant views at these exquisite birds, pretty much all of which were adult males.
YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia)
Incredibly abundant throughout, especially at Pelee, where we could barely walk a meter or two without seeing one. Interestingly, after we left the park a young couple walked every trail in the entire park, focusing on getting a handle on how many of several common species were actually in the park. Their final tally was 1088 of these, plus over 5700 Red-winged Blackbirds, nearly 500 robins, and 240 Baltimore Orioles. So our trip total of nearly 300 Yellow Warblers was probably a bit on the low side!
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (Setophaga pensylvanica)
Joan found us our first along the Redbud Footpath, one of just 2 or 3 we saw at Pelee! There were a few more at both Rondeau and Long Point, where we also got to watch one bird being banded at Old Cut
BLACKPOLL WARBLER (Setophaga striata)
One of the latest of the migrant warblers, and they were just beginning to make an appearance. We worked pretty hard to see our only one, a male that was singing persistently from a tall tree in the old campground at Long Point, with John finally being the one to track it down for us. We heard another the next day in the new campground, but that was all for the trip.
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (Setophaga caerulescens)
Very low numbers of this species, with only 4 seen in total, 3 at Pelee, and one, our best sighting, along the Maintenance Loop at Rondeau. All 4 birds were dapper males.
PALM WARBLER (Setophaga palmarum)
An early migrant, and one that moves through quickly, so we rarely see many, but we very nearly missed this one this trip, getting just a single bird with a small party of warblers in the clearing before entering Tilden's Woods. Not an especially flashy bird, but that tail-wagging behavior is pretty distinctive.
PINE WARBLER (Setophaga pinus)
We also saw a lone one of these, a pretty dull female, with a small mixed warbler/vireo flock at the start of Rondeau's South Point Trail. We did try to rustle up a couple of singing birds on territory in the Long Point area, but they showed no interest.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Setophaga coronata)
Another early migrant, and just a few were still trickling through. We saw a total of 7 scattered across the 3 main migration sites, all but one or two were females, as most of the males should already have been on territories further north.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Setophaga virens)
The majority of ours were heard only, but we did have a few nice sightings of males at Pelee, and one in the old campground at Long Point.
WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)
Western birders might be a bit surprised at how scarce this warbler can be in the east. We rarely get more than a handful, often just one, sometimes none at all, so the 2 birds (both males) we had was pretty normal. Neither was especially cooperative, and I'm not sure anyone other than me got a decent look at the one at Long Point, but at least a few folks had a view of one in a little hollow at the Sanctuary picnic area at Pelee.
SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga olivacea)
The lush new leaves may have made some of the warblers tough to spot, but it did little to hide these birds, which practically glowed in the treetops. We saw about 10 in total, mainly at Pelee, and there, mainly in Tilden's Woods. Though most were brilliant males, there were at least a couple of females, too.
NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)
A common, every day species at all three Lake Erie venues.
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
While we weren't overwhelmed by huge numbers of these, we did see a few each day at the Lake Erie venues, with plenty of wonderful views. Most birds we saw were males, though a few females were mixed in as well.
INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea)
We only saw two at Pelee, both males, the first one seen while we were at the Tip. It flew down the point to land in the very last tree, seemingly poised to fly out over the lake in a reverse migration, but after a brief pause, it turned around and headed back to the north. We also had at least three singing males around the Pony Barn at Rondeau, where we also managed pretty good looks at this beauty.
VIRGINIA OPOSSUM (Didelphis virginianus)
Betsy spotted one lumbering along through the dense horsetails next to the Schuster Trail, and we had good looks before it disappeared into thicker vegetation. Not only was this a first for me at Pelee, and on this tour, but it was also my first diurnal sighting in Canada.
SILVER-HAIRED BAT (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
Seeing this was a trip highlight for me, as it was a lifer mammal! I saw it flying ahead of us as we headed to the start of the West Beach footpath, and watched as it landed high on the trunk of a tree. Before I could scope it, it started crawling down the trunk, then flew again, coming closer to the trail and down to eye level, where we were able to get a really good look, and a handful of photos, before it moved around the back of the trunk and disappeared, probably behind some loose bark.
EASTERN COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus floridanus)
We did see a couple at Pelee, but they were more numerous at both Rondeau and Long Point.
PLAIN EASTERN CHIPMUNK (Tamias striatus)
I've never seen one at Pelee, and I'm not sure they occur in the park at all, but they are common at both Rondeau and around Long Point.
WOODCHUCK (Marmota monax)
I think only Linda and I saw one of these along the road as we neared our hotel in Orillia.
EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL (Sciurus carolinensis)
Common throughout the trip, except in the Carden area. Many were black, rather than gray, a common type in this part of their range, and one individual had a chic white tip to its tail.
RED SQUIRREL (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
This species requires coniferous trees, and seems to be absent from Pelee and Rondeau, though we had a few around the Long Point region where the forest is more mixed coniferous than in the other two parks.
MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica)
A couple of these were plying the waters of Big Creek Marsh.
NORTHERN RACCOON (Procyon lotor)
Linda and I saw one walking in a field of corn stubble as we drove down to Pelee the first day, and another was spotted walking down one of the tracks near the Pony Barn at Rondeau.
COMMON FIVE-LINED SKINK (Plestiodon fasciatus)
Ontario's only lizard, and we almost missed it, but ended up with great looks at one that Betsy spotted on the root mass of an uprooted tree along the Tulip Tree Trail at Rondeau.
COMMON GARTERSNAKE (Thamnophis sirtalis)
One was seen by a couple of us on the first day at Pelee, and another was along the South Point Trail at Rondeau.
NORTHERN WATERSNAKE (Nerodia sipedon)
Elisa spotted one in the water at the first Prothonotary Warbler spot along Pelee's Woodland Nature Trail, and we had nice views as it swam away from the boardwalk, though I can't figure out what that rectangular pink patch on its crown was. Another, boldly-banded juvenile slithered off the edge of Wylie Road on our final morning of birding.
AMERICAN BULLFROG (Lithobates catesbeianus)
Heard at Hillman and Big Creek, where Linda also spotted one on the edge of the marsh during our evening stroll there.
GREEN FROG (Lithobates clamitans)
I think this is Ontario's most common frog. At least it's the one we see on this trip most often, including a bunch of them in the small water features in front of Pelee's Visitor Center.
BLANDING'S TURTLE (Emydoidea blandingii)
Though this is classed as a Threatened Species in Canada, we nearly always manage to find at least one on this tour, and that was the case again this year, when we spotted a large one basking on a log along a canal neat Hillman Marsh. The obvious yellow chin is a definitive field mark.
NORTHERN MAP TURTLE (Graptemys geographica)
Just after we’d driven on from photographing the Blanding’s Turtle, we spotted another trio of turtles basking on a log along the canal. I was expecting them to be Painted Turtles, by far the most common species here, but was surprised to see that they were this species, which is designated as a “Species of Special Concern” in the province. Unfortunately they were not as stoic as the Blanding’s Turtle, and they quickly splashed back into the water when I tried to reverse the van for a better viewing angle.
COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE (Chelydra serpentina)
During our evening walk at Hillman, we suddenly heard some Canada Geese making a ruckus nearby. Obviously something was up. We approached to find a family of them standing on the shore of the channel, with one large gosling apparently struggling to get out of the water. I had an idea what might have happened, but, in case it was entangled in fishing line, I grabbed it and slowly attempted to pull its leg free from the murky water. And I did manage to bring it to the surface, only to confirm my suspicion that the jaws of a snapping turtle were firmly grasping its leg. The intervention stopped there, as I wasn't going to deprive the turtle from its hard-earned catch. Nature isn't always pretty.
AMERICAN TOAD (Anaxyrus americanus)
One or two each at Pelee and Long Point was all we recorded.
SPRING PEEPER (Pseudocris crucifer) [*]
Elisa and I heard a single one calling outside our Leamington hotel late the first night when we were out hoping for a repeat performance the spectacular aurora borealis show from the night before.
WOOD FROG (Lithobates sylvaticus) [*]
Heard late in the afternoon at the Sedge Wren Marsh.
Totals for the tour: 158 bird taxa and 9 mammal taxa