Fri-Mon, May 7-10: Join me, Jon Ruddy of Eastern Ontario Birding, for some incredible spring migration birding at Point Pelee National Park, Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, Rondeau Provincial Park, Blenheim Sewage Lagoons and the Erieau area! During spring migration in southwestern Ontario, it is more or less the norm to encounter 90-100+ species of birds per day. Provincial rarities, “southern” bird species, stunning warblers in breeding plumage, beautiful shorebirds in breeding plumage, gorgeous orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks, flycatchers, vireos, sparrows, hummingbirds and so much more…are all within our view. You’ll be given countless insights into the identification of various birds, and likely see “lifers” as we cover ground and search a variety of habitats for spring migrant birds. I can’t wait to enjoy the spectacle of spring birding with you!
Field Guiding Philosophy: With birds (winged…prone to movement; i.e. not “fixed” in location), there are never guarantees, but 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 will endeavour to make the most of each tour, and the philosophy I encourage is to “take whatever the day brings.” Field-guiding is far less about rarity chasing/stakeouts/listing, and far more about the flow of a particular day, time and location. As a guide, I typically don’t place pressure on the tour (i.e. have a long list of hopes and expectations); I simply allow the day to unfold before me, and interpret moments and themes to the best of my ability, on the fly. Birding is fluid, in my experience, and placing pressure on the day can lead to disappointment. If and when birding action is red hot, I will be there, guiding with bells on; the gloves are off, so to speak, and it’s “go time!” When it’s quiet, I will pull from my reservoir of information and field experience, and share information about birds and various natural history topics throughout the day.
What to pack/What to know: Please dress for the season and be sure to check on the weather conditions ahead of the tour. During spring and summer tours, it’s a good idea to pack rubber boots, extra socks (in case your feet get damp/wet) and your rain gear. Other seasonal items to pack include insect repellent, sunscreen and a field hat. Please pack your photographical and optical equipment of your choice; if you have a spotting scope, pack it, as well. Packing a cooler with a lunch, snacks and liquids is a good idea, whether you’re on a shorter or longer tour; it’s always better to have packed more, than to have packed less, during field tours. If we are on a full day tour, we will break for lunch; if it’s a half day tour, then there will be no lunch stop. I recommend packing cash (bills and or coins) as items like coffee, snacks and lunches at the Visitor Centre used to be (and could still be) cash-only. We will be able to revisit our parked cars during our lunch break, so we’ll be able to leave all our various items there (vs. having to lug them around with a backpack).
Transportation: We will be travelling to-and-from the birding sites in our own vehicles. Please ensure that you have gas in your vehicle ahead of each day, and that you have a working GPS device for navigation to-and-from the sites.
Permits & Passes: You must make your own reservations and purchases for passes unless otherwise indicated below. An Ontario Parks pass (day pass or season pass) will be required to enter Rondeau Provincial Park; a National Parks pass (day pass or season pass) will be required to enter Point Pelee National Park; a Blenheim Sewage Lagoons permit is required in order to access the lagoons, please contact ckinfo@chatham-kent.ca at least 2 weeks ahead of the tour to receive your permit; day pass or Spring Birding Pass will be required to enter Hillman Marsh.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner: Clients will take care of their own breakfasts at their respective accommodations, their own lunch during the tour day (I recommend packing a field lunch) and their own dinner plans that evening (I recommend making reservations for any/all sit-down restaurants).
Accommodations: Clients are in charge of their own Hotel/Motel/Cottage/Air BnB/B&B selections and reservations for this tour. I recommend booking your accommodation ASAP due to the high volume of birders in southwestern Ontario during the month of May. Core areas with all necessary amenities include Kingsville, Leamington, Chatham, Erieau and Blenheim.
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 after the tour. 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 min throughout the tour.
Activity rating: 2-3/5.
Meet-up time and location: On Friday, May 7th we will be meeting at Point Pelee National Park – Visitor Centre parking lot. Meet-up time and details to be determined at a later date.
Duration: 9-10 hours of peak spring migration birding per day; 36-40 hours over a period of 4 days.
Cost: $950 CAD per person (HST-included). I accept payment via e-transfer to eontbird@gmail.com. I also accept mailed cheques sent to Eastern Ontario Birding, 751 Namur Street, Embrun Ontario, K0A 1W0.
Payment due date: Upon registration preferred. Please be sure to review my Cancellation Policy ahead of signing up for this tour. The cancellation policy comes into effect the moment the online registration form is inputted.
Register for this outing by using this sign-up form