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Spring migration along the north shore of the Great Lakes can be truly fantastic--thousands of birds of dozens of species, tired after a long flight over the water, touch down on the first visible land they come to, and along the north shore of Lake Erie, that place is Point Pelee. Point Pelee National Park has long been famous as a premiere spring migration birding hotspot, and few places can rival the excitement of Pelee during a migration fallout. Multitudes of brilliantly colored warblers--Cape May, Canada, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, and many others--dart from tree to tree; thrashers, thrushes, and wrens hide in brush piles, while Scarlet Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles work the canopy overhead. The brilliance and contrast of all these different birds, so easily seen against the newly emerging greenery, is sure to lift even the most winter-weary soul. And while not every day is a fallout day, even a slow day at Pelee can be impressive. We'll have plenty of time to check all the best places within the park and other important sites that surround it. While weather conditions will dictate how many birds are around, we should be able to find more species each day.

Though Pelee has gotten the lion's share of the publicity, two other sites along the Lake Erie north shore, Rondeau and Long Point, are both migration hotspots in their own right. Both can rival Pelee for fallouts during spring migration, but they have less birder coverage and are therefore less well known. Rondeau will give us a chance to see the largest remaining stand of Carolinian forest in Canada, as well as the special birds that nest there. These include southern nesting species such as Prothonotary Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, and Acadian Flycatcher; Rondeau is one of the few remaining breeding sites for these species in Canada. Long Point, in addition to its considerable migrant potential, has the added bonus of hosting a broad range of nesting birds, many of which are scarce or absent at Pelee and Rondeau. These include such delights as Cerulean, Hooded, and Blue-winged warblers and Louisiana Waterthrush, plus twenty more species of nesting parulids. If the banding station is operating during our visit, we may also get the chance to watch a bird banding demonstration and see a few warblers up close and personal!

Finally, to close out the trip, we'll head north to a fantastic mix of woodland, open grassland, and marsh species in an area called the Carden Plain. The intense pressure of agricultural practices on the land is loosened, and small lakes that dot the landscape begin to appear. Here we hope to find a good diversity of grassland birds such as Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Upland Sandpiper, Eastern Bluebird, Grasshopper Sparrow, and the endangered Eastern Loggerhead Shrike. The wetlands are home to Sora and Virginia Rail, American Bittern, Black Tern, Swamp Sparrow, and Sedge and Marsh wrens. Shrubby areas and a mix of coniferous and hardwood forests provide habitat for a large number of breeding warblers and other species, but we will try to track down birds such as Golden-winged Warbler and Clay-colored Sparrow specifically. Ospreys and Common Loons are common breeding birds on several smaller lakes that exist in the area.

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Client comment
"It was an adventurous, wonderful week overall. The knowledge of our tour guide, Dan Arndt, was a wonderful addition to the trip, helping enhance our experience by pointing out birds, identifying them, and enriching us with the history of the area. The other participants were incredible people that helped make the tour a great experience. The service of the tour manager and office staff was great as well!" E.J., POINT PELEE MIGRATION SPECTACLE

"I thought our guide, Dan Arndt, was the outstanding feature of the tour. Dan scouted the areas for anticipated species and was able to locate many, carefully directing our attention to locations for optimum viewing. He is energetic and detail-oriented, and his picnic lunch preparation was outstanding." T.S., POINT PELEE MIGRATION SPECTACLE