Friday, September 9: Welcome to the Peak Fall Birding series! These tours coincide with the peak fall passage of many bird groups, including but not limited to fall warblers, vireos, flycatchers, orioles, sparrows, cuckoos, shorebirds, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Scarlet Tanagers. On any given day, during a Peak Fall Birding Series tour, 15-20 species of warbler are possible to observe and day tallies of upwards of 75-100 bird species are expected.  During today’s tour, we will explore some of Ottawa’s top fall migration sites: Shirleys Bay, Belltown Park 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 washroom break every 90-120 minutes.

Meet-up time and location: 8:00 a.m. at Shirleys Bay boat launch parking lot at the N end of Rifle Rd.

Duration: 5.25 hours.

Cost: $100 per person (HST-included). I do not have a preference when it comes to payment type; I accept e-transfer, cash and cheque.

Register for this outing by using this sign-up form