Friday, May 13: A  tour in Ottawa in search of a wide variety of lovely, colourful migrant songbirds! A simply astonishing variety of songbirds will be present by this date (upwards of 20 species of warblers, for example), as well as countless other vibrant spring migrants. Let’s get out there and enjoy the spectacle. Buckle up….peak spring birding is at hand. We will spend the tour slowly searching for birds, on foot, at three sites: Shirleys Bay, Andrew Haydon Park east and Britannia C.A.

What to pack: Please dress for the season, and be sure to take a look at the forecast for the region in which we will be birding a few days out from the tour. Please pack a cooler with the food and drink of your choice. Pack your optical and photographic equipment, as well as your field guides should you wish to consult them during the tour.  Although they are not mandatory, I recommend packing a mask for whenever we might be birding in tight spaces.

eBird Checklists: I will take care of all of the checklists for the day, and share them with you when the tour is complete. Your eBird statistics will automatically update when you accept the checklist. If you are not an eBird user, that is perfectly fine; I will email the checklists when I arrive home. You’ll be able to browse through the sightings list without having to be an eBird user.

Washrooms: I will schedule a restroom break every 90-or-so minutes.

Meet-up time and location: 7:30 a.m. at the boat launch parking lot of Shirleys Bay.

Duration: 5.5 hours.

Cost: $105 per person (HST-included). I do not have a preference when it comes to payment type; I accept e-transfer, cash and cheque.

Registration is now closed.