Saturday, April 1: Today, we will explore Presqu’ile Provincial Park and take in the remarkable spring waterfowl scene that the park has to offer! Thousands upon thousands of beautiful ducks should be present at traditional spring staging areas. Canvasback, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser and much more will be searched for. Rarities such as Harlequin Duck are possible, with careful scanning, and even Tufted Duck may be possible at this time! We will keep an eye out for large falcons, such as Gyrfalcon, which also use these same staging areas to hunt! This tour is especially for those looking to savour the beauty of waterfowl as well as learn about their identification through both binoculars and a spotting scope.
Guarantees: With birds, there are never guarantees, I’m afraid. The good news is you’ll have a professional guide at the helm with many years of experience searching for and identifying birds. As always, I endeavour to make the most of each tour, and the philosophy I encourage is to “take whatever the day brings.” Each day in the field is a treat to savour!
What to pack/What to know: 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. Please also pack your spotting scope, if you have one. An Ontario Parks day pass must be obtained prior to your visit. You must use Ontario Parks’ online registration system to register.
Accommodations: Clients are in charge of their own Hotel/Motel/Air BnB/B&B selections and reservations. Belleville, Trenton and Brighton are the core accommodation areas for this tour.
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.
Activity rating: 1/5. We will enjoy some short hikes throughout the day, as well as stand in place to photograph and study spring waterfowl.
Meet-up time and location: 9:00 a.m. at Presqu’ile Provincial Park’s front registration building: 328 Presqu’ile Pkwy, Brighton, ON K0K 1H0. When you check in with the attendant, please proceed to the parking area just past (south-of) the registration building. You can park on the side of the road there.
Duration: 6 – 6.5 hours.
Cost: $125 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