The Big Fall at Point Pelee

Well, we can say that we were there on the day of The Big Fall. It really did happen and looking back I still can’t quite believe it. An epic day of 25 species of warbler on the tip of Point Pelee and it was literally raining birds that dropped into every conceivable sheltered spot to rest and feed, most of them within arm’s length. Even on the tram ride to the tip I could see that the treetops were alive with birds and one can only imagine how many thousands of individual birds were involved today. It was non-stop action from dawn to dusk and I can’t ever remember my arms aching so much from the constant raising of binocular and camera. It was absolutely awesome and we were truly lucky to witness one of nature’s most amazing spectacles - it was indeed the miracle of migration happening right in front of us. To be honest you can use every superlative imaginable and it still wouldn’t relate the excitement, fervour and sheer good fun to be here on a day like this. I must admit I was  bit stunned really as everywhere you looked there was another brightly coloured sprite to look at and you never knew what was coming next. We spent the whole day here and you always felt like there was something new just around the corner. I think the collection of photos I took today sum the event up better than any prose that my still fuzzy brain can cobble together… 

American Redstart (male)

American Redstart (male)

American Redstart (female)

Just two Bay-breasted Warblers were seen today

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warblers were everywhere today

Blackburnian Warbler - my personal favourite

Just the one Blue-winged Warbler was found today.

Canada Warbler was a good sighting today.

Cape May Warblers arrived en-masse today - never seen so many...

Chestnut-sided Warbler was very common

Magnolia Warbler was also common

Lots of Northern Parula today as well

Birds were landing on the beach - Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler was very common today

Pine Warbler is quite unusual here

Scarlet Tanagers were everywhere

The commonest of them all - Yellow Warbler

   

Point Pelee and Rondeau Provincial Park

We woke to light rain this morning and were soon driving the 15 minutes to Point Pelee. Upon arrival we took the electric bus down to the tip in company with many other birders but the wet and windy conditions were not conducive to seeing migrants and in fact there was very little around. 

Baltimore Oriole is very common here.

A Wood Thrush, Savannah Sparrow, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-eyed Vireo and a few Yellow Warblers were all that was on offer so we returned to the Visitor Centre for a much-needed cup of coffee and some cake. With news of a Prothonotary Warbler being seen at Pioneer we drove to this area situated further inland and on the leeward side of the promontory, seeing Wild Turkey and a Merlin along the way. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

A good walk around the trails continued in much the same vain with little on offer apart from our first Swainson’s Thrushes, Eastern Kingbird, Common Yellowthroat and 4 Spotted Sandpipers along the beach, although walking to the next parking area was better. Many more birds such as Red-bellied Woodpecker, Orchard & Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Grey Catbirds, White-crowned Sparrow and both Veery & Hermit Thrush were present, but alas no new migrants. So from here we checked out a few small pools near the entrance gate for a reported Stilt Sandpiper, although this bird seemed to have departed we had a flock of Dunlin, 3 Least Sandpipers, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Semipalmated Plovers, and a Short-billed Dowitcher. The pools were a bit distant so no photos.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

Then we decided to drive just over an hour to Rondeau Provincial Park, and upon arrival called in to the Visitor Centre for a welcoming bowl of soup and some coffee. The feeding station, as well as attracting birders, also provides nourishment for a variety of birds and we had incredible close-ups of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch amongst others. 

Downy Woodpecker

Then we drove to where a Prothonotary Warbler had been sighted and amazingly after a short walk and a little wait we actually connected with this key bird. It was feeding around some pools in the forest and keeping low, just above the water in some fallen trees and branches and we were fortunate to be able to stay with it for half an hour. 

Prothonotary Warbler

What an awesome bird and it has been maybe 10 years since I last saw one of these. Whilst watching this a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a Brown Creeper appeared as well, and a Least Flycatcher a little while later. Then we walked along some trails and eventually came across a small flock with Northern Parula, Blue-headed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Blackburnian Warbler and the ultra-common Yellow Warbler. 

Yellow-throated Vireo

Red-headed Woodpecker

A quick check of the Paddock area revealed nothing new apart from a fine Red-headed Woodpecker so we drove back to Leamington and an early dinner. But none of us could ever have expected the amazing events that would occur tomorrow...........

Long Point to Point Pelee or The Kirtland's Twitch..

After an early breakfast at the motel in Simcoe we met in the car park where some Common Loons were seen flying overhead. Then we drove towards Long Point, stopping when a Sandhill Crane was spotted feeding in a roadside field and we managed some reasonably close views.

Sandhill Crane

Once at Long Point Observatory it was much busier and a complete contrast to yesterday with a big fall of Myrtle Warblers immediately apparent. 

Myrtle Warblers

Sifting through all the activity revealed a female Pine Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler and Chestnut-sided Warbler amongst the highlights. Walking the trails we also found Northern Parula, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Nashville, Tennessee and Orange-crowned  Warblers, a Veery, Ruby-throated Hummingbird on a feeder, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Cedar Waxwing, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Towhee, American Bittern in flight, and a flyover Bobolink.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Northern Cardinal

Drove up to the picnic area but didn’t find much new although Warbling Vireo and yet more waxwings were seen, although their numbers were greatly reduced, plus carpets of White-throated Sparrows. 

White-throated Sparrow

Just up the road we called in to an overlook and scanned the reedbed where 2 Sandhill Cranes could be seen in the distance, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Caspian and Forster’s Terns and a Swamp Sparrow were found, with a Belted Kingfisher seen as we were leaving.

Then it was time to set out on the 2.5 hour drive Point Pelee, where en-route a quick check of the ABA Rarities Round-up revealed at least one and possibly two Kirtland’s Warblers were present there. So we eventually arrived at 3.30pm and drove to the Visitor Centre, catching the next tram down to the tip. After a bit of a run-around, seeing Wilson’s Warbler, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, and Blue-headed Vireo we made it to the right spot where the bird had been seen only to find just two photographers waiting for it. 

Brown Thrasher

We spread out and over the next hour noted numerous Palm Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Brown Thrasher before we picked up the Kirtland’s Warbler in a conifer right beside the trail. 

The rare Kirtland's Warbler

Over the next half an hour the bird gave point-blank views and we soaked up the whole experience of seeing such a rare bird – and celebrated a successful twitch. Leaving here we walked up to the tram stop and found a mixed feeding flock with 3 more Black-and-white Warblers, Nashville, Common Yellowthroat, Myrtle and a cracking Blackburnian Warbler to end an excellent day.

Driving in and out of Pelee also produced a Red-headed Woodpecker and Wild Turkey.

Canada Day 2: Long Point and Port Rowan Wetlands

An early departure from Niagara saw us calling in to a great diner in Simcoe for breakfast just as they opened, with a Bald Eagle having already being seen on the drive so far. 

Bald Eagle

Then, with our lunchtime sandwiches from Tim Horton’s and our first Chimney Swifts, we drove with much anticipation to Long Point Bird Observatory and our first day of migrant hunting. Upon arrival, a quick check revealed nothing much of interest in the banding station so we hit the trails and in quick time found Myrtle, Palm, Black-throated Green & Black-and-White Warblers, plus a Warbling Vireo. 

Warbling Vireo

We didn’t walk very far but just hung around the same area for quite a while and new birds kept appearing all of the time and we had Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Baltimore Oriole, and both White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows.

Baltimore Oriole

White-throated Sparrow

We walked along the street to the Provincial Park which was closed  but saw a flyby American Bittern, as well as American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow and a few Northern Cardinals. With nothing else on offer we returned to the Obs and checked out the feeders which were attracting Downy Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Blue Jay, and a couple of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

Cedar Waxwings

Our picnic lunch was consumed a few kilometres back along the road at a picnic site set in some very large trees. An amazing flock of 100+ Cedar Waxwings was feeding here and further scrutiny produced Hermit Thrush, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Carolina and Northern House Wrens, Brown Thrasher, 4+ Warbling Vireo and an Orchard Oriole. Returning to the Obs it was very quiet although from an overlook across the marsh we saw Great Blue and Green Herons, Eastern Phoebe, and yet more Yellow Warblers.

It was now late afternoon and as the skies darkened and rain splattering the windshield we drove the short distance to Port Rowan Wetlands seeing a Belted Kingfisher along the way. The wetlands held a great little area of lagoons, marsh and reeds where Song Sparrows fed along the water’s edge, a flock of 6 Buffleheads displayed, and numerous Tree Swallows flew low overhead. 

Tree Swallow

Buffleheads

Best of all was a Virginia Rail that after calling for a while scuttled incredibly close to look at us before walking away across an open area and out of view. Wow! 

Virginia Rail

If that want enough, a Sora Rail was also seen, along with Pied-billed Grebe, Killdeer, and a Beaver… Nice!

Beaver

Driving between sites today also produced Northern Harrier, Merlin, 2 more Bald Eagles and a Cooper’s Hawk.