Leading a birding tour in Southern Ontario

Looking for birds at Rondeau PP - Photo: Melissa Hafting

I co-led a sold out tour with  Chris Charlesworth  and 12 participants with Avocet Tours in Southern Ontario. We flew into Toronto. I came in a day early and braved the horrendous Toronto Highway 401 traffic and went to High Park. It was a beautiful busy park with Cherry Blossoms in bloom. Here I saw Great-crested Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, White-throated Sparrow, Common Grackle, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Cape May Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole and Scarlet Tanager.

The next day May 12th, the group arrived and we rented two 8 seater vans. It was nice to see so many local familiar faces like Mike Fung, Ben Lambert, Jan Bryant, Margaret Koren and those from further afield like Theresa Weismiller from Prince Rupert and meeting new faces as well like Susan M., Brian M. From Gibsons, Eileen L from Terrace, Janet M from Ontario and Ginger A. We had a nice dinner at the Etobicoke Moxies near our Holiday Inn Express Hotel and went to bed. 

We got up May 13th and had a nice full breakfast at our hotel and then started the 2 hour drive to Long Point. We first stopped at the famous Old Cut Banding Field Station. Here we saw a cool sign saying "Birder Crossing".  

Street sign at Long Point (ONT) Old Cut Field Station 

We also watched the banders from Birds Canada banding and releasing a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a White-throated Sparrow. We got to meet Stu Mackenzie who has been instrumental in creating Motus in Canada, which is a device that tracks birds and an important conservation tool.

We watched the bird feeders here and saw Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Green Heron, Chimney Swifts, Carolina Wren, Blue Jays, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Least Flycatcher and many warblers. We enjoyed watching the Eastern Purple Martins in their housing condos and gourds which are very different from the individual nesting structures the Western Purple Martins use. Also the Purple Martins out East sound very different from ours on the Pacific Coast.

Blue Jay at Long Point - Photo: Ben Lambert

Baltimore Oriole at Long Point Old Cut Banding Station feeders - Photo: Ben Lambert

Purple Martin condos for the Eastern subspecies - Photo: Mike Fung

Purple Martin in southern Ontario - Photo: Ben Lambert

Eastern Purple Martins at gourd colony - Photo: Jan Bryant

Next we went to Cottonwood Campground in Long Point. Here we got great views of Blackburnian Warbler, Tennessee Warbler and a stunning male Black-throated Blue Warbler. We also had fun watching the very active Blue-gray Gnatcatchers with their wheezy calls and we also saw our first male Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the trip!

Male Blackburnian Warbler at Cottonwood Campground in Long Point, ONT - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Cottonwood Campground in Long Point - Photo: Ben Lambert

After a nice Subway lunch, which we had at the campground, we went to Big Creek National Wildlife Area and in the marsh we got to see Forster’s Terns up close diving for and catching fish. We also had Caspian and Common Terns fly over the site. We also had up close views of Swamp Sparrows and saw colts and adult Sandhill Cranes, which was a delight. We also saw a family of Mute Swans with cute cygnets and a Bobolink. The Canada Geese here had much more reddish dark breasts than the birds back home due in part to iron rich soil. 

Forster's Terns at Big Creek NWA in Long Point, Ont - Photos: Ben Lambert

Swamp Sparrow at Big Creek NWA in Long Point - Photo: Ben Lambert

Mute Swans and cygnets at Big Creek NWA in Long Point - Photo: Jan Bryant

It then began to rain quite heavy so we left the exposed marsh and went over to the Birds Canada Headquarters. We walked around the pond there and into the peaceful Bayview Cemetery. The cemetery was very birdy with orioles, warblers, Mourning Doves, Wood Ducks and Green Herons.

We then went to Turkey Point Beach to look for shorebirds. Here we found a continuing rare Wilson's Phalarope and found 2 Little Gulls. An adult and an immature. They are not rare at this location but lovely for our group to see. We enjoyed seeing the dark underwings of the adult Little Gull differentiating it from the nearby Bonaparte's Gulls. 

Wilson’s Phalarope at Turkey Point in Long Point, Ont - Photo: Ben Lambert

Little Gulls at Turkey Point in Long Point, ONT (note the black underwings) - Photos: Ben Lambert

We also had a few Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Dunlin and Common Terns and Bonaparte's Gulls. After a long day we spent the night at the Best Western in Simcoe.

On May 14th, we got up had breakfast at the hotel and then went to Backus Woods (an old-growth deciduous Carolinian Forest). Here we had fantastic views of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Backus Woods - Photo: Ben Lambert

We had great views of Hooded Warbler, Ovenbird and Magnolia here and also had Pine Warbler and Blue-winged Warblers. We also had splendid views of Red-eyed Vireos and Wood Thrush.

Male Hooded Warbler in Walsingham, Ontario - Photo: Ben Lambert

We then travelled on to Wilson Tract where we had nice views of a Veery and Scarlet Tanager. We were hoping to find Louisiana Waterthrush here but came up empty. However, on the way out in a nearby field we had Field and Grasshopper Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Kingbirds and Tree Swallows. There were many Turkey Vultures also flying overhead. The Tree Swallows and Eastern Kingbirds appeared to be fighting over possession of the nest boxes.

Field Sparrow in Walsingham, Ont - Photo: Ben Lambert

Eastern Bluebird male in Walsingham, Ont - Photo: Ben Lambert

We travelled on to Long Point Provincial Park, where we saw Gray Catbirds, Blue-headed Vireos, Philadelphia Vireos and watched a large flock of mixed warblers. We had sensational views of Magnolia Warblers, Bay-breasted Warblers, Northern Parula, Redstart, Black-throated Green, Tennessee, Blackpoll, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped and Yellow.

Chestnut-sided Warbler in Long Point Provincial Park - Photo: Ben Lambert 

Black-throated Green Warbler in Long Point - Photo: Ben Lambert

We stopped at the quaint Olde Tyme Deli and Eatery in Port Rowan and had tasty wraps, sandwiches and coffee. We then travelled on towards Leamington.

We stopped at Kopegaron Woods in the town of Wheatley and here we had stunning views of a male Indigo Bunting singing his heart out. There were many warblers foraging up high in the canopy and we had a brief view of a Wild Turkey and a White-breasted Nuthatch. We had dinner that night at our Best Western Hotel in Leamington.

White-breasted Nuthatch in Wheatley - Photo: Ben Lambert

The next morning on May 15th, we were up early and out the door at 5am so we could beat the crowds at Point Pelee National Park. We stopped briefly to get breakfast at Tim Hortons. We were surprised to see a half empty parking lot and a line up of 5 people waiting for the tram. We were happy to run into my friend Bruce DiLabio and then took the tram to the tip. At the tip birders were enthralled by an Eurasian Collared-Dove which admittedly our group didn't care too much about since they are very common in Metro Vancouver. There was an immature Little Gull in with the Great Black-backed and other Gulls at the tip. You cannot walk to the true actual tip until after ten am giving the birds some time to rest after they are exhausted from migration.

Welcome sign at Point Pelee - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Birders aren't allowed to walk to the true tip until after 10 am to give birds a chance to rest

We also had great views of several species of warblers and Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos. We walked our way back to the beginning looking for birds in the trees. 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

Black-billed Cuckoo at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

The trees were full of many warblers, kingbirds, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Great-crested and Least Flycatchers and Eastern Kingbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds. When we got back to the visitor centre we were informed there was a Fish Crow at the tip. We figured the crow would long be gone but we made our way back out by tram and saw and heard the Fish Crow flying over us! It made a croaky frog-like call that sounded very different from the American Crows. There was a second crow too that others claimed was also a Fish Crow but we never heard it call, so put it down as crow species.  The Fish Crow was a new Canada Bird for me. After seeing the crow and heading out once more we heard a Yellow-breasted Chat calling from a bush but never could see the skulky bird!

Fish Crow at Point Pelee, Ontario - Photo: Ben Lambert

We then walked the Tilden Woods Trail and had great views of Wild Turkeys on the trail. We had Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, Gray Catbird and all of the expected vireos. 

Gray Catbird at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

We had Orchard and Baltimore Oriole, Wood Thrush and Swainson's Thrush and had fantastic views of the endangered Prothonotary Warbler. We also had a Nashville on this trail and great views of Magnolia, Cape May, Parula, Redstart, and Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided and Blackburnian Warbler. 

Bay-breasted Warbler at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

However, the warbler of the day the group agreed was the cute Canada Warblers that gave incredible full frontal views. We also saw our first Red-headed Woodpecker of the trip.

Canada Warbler in Point Pelee, Leamington Ontario - Photo: Ben Lambert

After our day at Pelee we decided to stop at Hillman Marsh where a reported rare Neotropic Cormorant had been and a couple Wilson’s Phalaropes. We did see the Wilson’s Phalaropes and some Trumpeter Swans, Blue-winged Teal, Black-bellied Plover, Trail's Flycatcher, Semipalmated Plovers, a Lesser Yellowlegs and Indigo Bunting but after an extensive search the Neotropic Cormorant wasn’t present during our visit. We decided to come back tomorrow morning to try for it.

We had dinner that night at Moonlight restaurant in Leamington.

On May 16th - we woke up bright and early and left the hotel at 5 am and after a brief stop at Tim Hortons went to Hillman Marsh. Here we walked the boardwalk trail and found the Neotropic Cormorant on a snag on a bare tree roosting with other cormorants. Unfortunately it flew pretty quickly after I spotted it and showed the other guide (Chris) and also Ben Lambert who were looking through scopes and it then quickly flew out of view and we lost it. Ben Lambert was quick enough to get a nice photo though, which was great! This was a new Canada Bird for myself and Chris Charlesworth and lifer for many in the group, just like the Fish Crow. It was so peaceful and beautiful at this location at dawn. Jan Bryant spotted a Green Heron for the group and Teresa pointed out a Great Egret. We also drove to the end of East Beach Road where I spotted a rare Red Knot and Ruddy Turnstones for the group. Red Knot is quite rare in Ontario.

A rare for Canada Neotropic Cormorant at Hillman Marsh - Photo: Ben Lambert

Great Egret at Hillman Marsh - Photo: Ben Lambert

Red Knot at Hillman Marsh (end of E Beach Rd) - Photo: Ben Lambert

Indigo Bunting at Hillman Marsh - Photo: Ben Lambert

We then drove all the way to Rondeau Provincial Park only to be told at the gate that it was closed due to a severe storm that fell trees and knocked out the power.  So disappointed we headed back towards Point Pelee and on the way we stopped back in at Kopegaron Woods where we had great views of White-breasted Nuthatch and self found our own very rare Kentucky Warbler. It was singing loud as ever but we could not see it. You are not allowed to use playback in these birding areas for obvious reasons.  With the amount of people there the birds would be constantly stressed with constant playback.

The trees were once again filled with various species of warbler here and we had another Canada and Black-and-white Warbler too.

Next we went back to Point Pelee and went once again to Tilden Woods because there had been a Worm-eating Warbler found that morning plus an Acadian Flycatcher and Louisiana Waterthrush. After an extensive search we (nor anyone else) could find these birds. We were especially disappointed not to find the Worm-eating Warbler which is such a great bird for Canada and a very cool looking warbler!

We had a lovely walk around there though and saw Black-billed Cuckoos, Gray Catbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Eastern Wood-Pewees and all the various warblers from Prothonotary to Canada that I mentioned before! 

Male Scarlet Tanager at Point Pelee, Leamington ONT - Photo: Mike Fung

We also saw a rare for the area Olive-sided Flycatcher! Jan spotted a roosting Common Nighthawk! A week prior there had been a roosting Chuck-will's-widow but sadly that took off before our arrival.

Olive-sided Flycatcher in Ontario - Photo: Melissa Hafting

We had a nice picnic boxed lunch and watched a few Broad-winged Hawks fly over the parking lot in a Kettle of Turkey Vultures!  We had hoped for a Mississippi Kite as several others had reported them during our visit but no suck luck! We watched Wild Turkeys walk next to us and even saw one displaying in the road.

Wild Turkeys at Point Pelee are quite tame - Photo: Jan Bryant 

We next went to the Dunes Trail in the park. Here we saw another up close Broad-winged Hawk soaring over! I also spotted a brief Eastern Phoebe that no one else saw and Eastern Wood-Pewee. We next stopped at the Marsh Boardwalk for some ice cream to cool off and had a Cooper’s Hawk fly over us. After this short rest we went to the Sanctuary Trail and saw a lovely Great Egret in the marsh!

After a tasty home style dinner at Ray's Ribhouse, we went out to Kopegaron Woods to see an Eastern Screech-Owl I had pre-scouted and found for the group.  The group said at the end of the trip that the Screech-Owl was their bird of the trip! It was a cute red-morph who was sitting very contently sunning himself in peace, in a beautiful Carolinian forest.

Red-morph Eastern Screech-Owl in Wheatley, Ontario - Photo: Melissa  Hafting

By the way I haven’t spoken of the ticks several in the group did get. I was assigned as the person to remove them as I have removed many ticks in my life. People had them in their scalps, arms and legs and one person even found one in their bed! It is amazing how these creepy critters can attach to people without them feeling them. I never did get any during the trip and again attest it to the Permethrin-treated clothes that I wore and bought from Mark’s Work Wear World. They really do work! Southern Ontario is really full of ticks and there are signs on most of the trails and some of them also carry do Lyme disease there.

After this we had signed up for an American Woodcock walk at Point Pelee with Parks Canada. We met the group and after a short video presentation about the mating displays of the species we then went to the Delaurier Homestead at dusk to watch the spectacle. Before the Woodcocks came out we had five Common Nighthawks fly over us eating the huge swarms of flying midges above us. A pair of Eastern Kingbirds called out with glee as they ate up the bugs as well. Thank goodness the bugs were not biting as they were going into every orifice! Then all of a sudden the Woodcocks began to "Peent" and the first one flew up straight in the air calling up high and then floated down fast in a zig-zag pattern and then  began puffing his chest and peenting and calling out right in front of us! It was the best views of Woodcocks I had ever had. It was a true highlight of our trip we had 3 Woodcocks in total displaying mere feet from us in the grass.

American Woodcock displaying at Point Pelee National Park - Photo: Ben Lambert

We were very tired after this full day so went back to the Best Western at Leamington and fell fast asleep fast!

On the morning of May 17th, we awoke and went to Hillman Marsh just to check if we could spot the Neotropic Cormorant again. Sadly we could not but did see a Great Egret. We also stopped in for one more view of the Eastern Screech-Owl. We decided to do this because Rondeau Provincial Park had not updated their website and didn't open their phones until 8 am. Therefore before making the hour drive we wanted to be sure they would be open post the storm. 

After stopping and getting our yummy boxed lunches at Lakeside Cafe, we headed on to Rondeau Provincial Park. On the way we had 3 White-tailed Deer. The park was open but running on a generator to take payment and we saw many fallen trees and the hydro team working on downed power lines.

We started at South Point Trail East where we a couple of us spotted and heard an Acadian Flycatcher. The weather was still very windy so many of the birds were hunkered down but we did get great views of an Eastern Towhee and many of the warblers, Northern Cardinals, Wood Thrush and Philadelphia Vireos.

Eastern Towhee in Rondeau Provincial Park - Photo: Ben Lambert

Male Northern Cardinal at Rondeau, Ont - Photo: Ben Lambert

After this we walked the Spicebush Trail but it was so windy that most of the birds didn't give good views but we did see some lovely Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a Swainson's Thrush and Blackburnian Warbler and accommodating Common Yellowthroats as highlights.

Common Yellowthroat at Rondeau - Photo: Ben Lambert

We then walked the well-known "Warbler's Way" and had really great views of a Pileated Woodpecker and of many different warblers and vireos (Philly, Red-eyed and Warbling) and Scarlet Tanagers, Orioles and Grosbeaks! They were mere feet away from our faces and down low which was nice in this sheltered spot. I also ran into a friend Ed Kingma a local from the Vancouver area who was there with his wife for their grandson's University graduation in the US. We had several Bank Swallows down this trail but also saw Prothonotary Warbler, many beautiful Cape Mays, Magnolia, Wilson's, Blackpoll, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, Northern Parulas, Tennessee and our first Mourning Warbler of the trip! The feeders at the visitor center where we had our delicious lunch were closed due to the Avian Flu outbreak. This used to be a good spot for Tufted Titmouse and due to the wind we didn't hear or find any during our visit that day.

Male Cape May Warbler in Rondeau PP - Photo: Ben Lambert

Philadelphia Vireo at Rondeau - Photo: Ben Lambert

Bay-breasted Warbler at Rondeau PP - Photo: Ben Lambert

After this, we headed back to our hotel from dinner in Leamington. After dinner I offered to take those who wanted to go searching for Eastern Whip-poor-wills. We went to Point Pelee and walked out to the tip and some trails searching and listening for them but it was so stormy and the waves crashing in Lake Erie (it is so big and mimics an ocean). We tried several spots past dark until the park closed at ten pm. Then I checked another spot near to our hotel where others had seen them two nights before and a Great Horned Owl at a place called Sturgeon Creek. Within a few minutes to our disbelief and delight, we heard a Eastern Whip-poor-will calling its signature call! We all gave each other high fives! We then retired to our rooms. I don't think we ever fell asleep quicker than that night. 

The next morning May 18th we were up again bright and early and out the door at 5 am.  This would be our last day of the trip. We could not believe how fast the time flew. Time really does go fast when you are having fun.  We went back to Point Pelee after a quick breakfast at Timmy's. We took the tram out to the tip and saw Bruce Di Labio again. At the tip we saw some Black Terns and a rare Whimbrel and Marbled Godwit. We also saw Sanderlings which were new for us this trip.  There was a single Black-bellied Plover here too and 4 Ruddy Turnstones. There was one Little Gull still present and we got a Lesser Black-backed Gull too! We took the tram back after looking at Yellow Warbler and Red-winged Blackbird nests. We got off at a stop before the visitor centre and walked the beautiful Woodland Nature Trail.

On the Woodland Nature Trail we had a Black-billed Cuckoo and 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers and several Prothonotary Warblers singing away! Here is a fun fact: The Prothonotary Warbler is the only member of the genus Protonotaria and the only eastern warbler that nests in natural or artificial cavities. They often use cavities in trees made by Downy Woodpeckers. They are listed as endangered in Canada and nest in hardwood swamps in southeastern Ontario in Canada and the eastern US.

A male Prothonotary Warbler at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

There were many Common Grackles on the trail often ignored but beautiful in their own right! 

Common Grackle in Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

The trail was alive with several species of warblers and vireos including a friendly Blue-headed and we enjoyed watching a Black-and-white Warbler walk along the tree like a nuthatch. We saw many American Robins nesting low near the ground on this trail too.

Blue-headed Vireo at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

Red-headed Woodpecker at Point Pelee, Ont - Photo: Ben Lambert

Red-headed Woodpecker in Point Pelee, ONT - Photo: Melissa Hafting

We then walked the Tilden Woods Trail again and had a family of Sandhill Cranes fly over! We also saw more Prothonotary Warblers gathering nesting material and both sexes were singing (females sing too!).

Female Prothonotary Warbler in Point Pelee in Leamington, ONT - Photo: Melissa Hafting

We had phenomenal views of an Eastern Wood-Pewee on the trail too. We found a bathing pond where several warblers from Magnolia to Wilson's came down to bathe right in front of us which was great. We also had a Mourning Warbler nearby and several Canada’s too!

Eastern Wood-Pewee in Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

Magnolia Warbler at Point Pelee - Photo: Ben Lambert

We then drove to Holiday Beach Conservation Area in Amherstburg, which is between Kingsville and Detroit. We stopped at the Subway in Kingsville for lunch and continued on. Holiday Beach is a beautiful park that is full of bird life, they have many marshes and a famous hawk tower where birders watch tons of hawks fly over during fall migration south. We came here due to recent reports of Cerulean Warblers and by my friend Doug Martin as none had been in Pelee during our week. We ended up seeing a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and getting great views of a Carolina Wren and Eastern Phoebe that everyone saw this time! 

Eastern Phoebe in Amherstburg, Ont - Photo: Ben Lambert

We also got lovely views of a Great Crested Flycatcher and Tanagers and Orioles. We did see a Prothonotary Warbler but sadly did not find a Cerulean during our limited time in the park. We did however see Eastern Painted Turtles and the rare and endangered Blanding's Turtle that many in our group were hoping to see! They are unique with yellow under their chins and long throats and belly. The one we saw was quite large and can live over 70 years!

An endangered Blanding’s Turtle in Amherstburg, Ontario - Photo: Mike Fung

A eastern Painted Turtle at Holiday Beach - Photo: Mike Fung

Great-crested Flycatcher at Holiday Beach - Photo: Ben Lambert

Carolina Wren at Holiday Beach - Photo: Ben Lambert

We then drove 3 hours back to Toronto Airport and dropped off those who were flying home that day and then took the others who were going back to the hotel to spend the night. In all our excitement we sadly forgot to take a group photo of our phenomenal group :(

It was a fun and successful tour, the only thing I personally didn't like was the traffic on the 401 near Toronto but the birds everywhere were sensational! We ended up with 155 species for the trip! In addition to the animals that I mentioned above, we also saw some Raccoons, Opossums, Eastern Chipmunks, American Red Squirrels and Eastern Gray Squirrels, during the tour. Thanks to everyone who signed up and made it such an enjoyable group to work with.