Point Pelee | The Ovenbird Blog

Week 19 Pelee!

by Ellen Horak | May 12, 2025 | Canada 400

Migration happened! When we arrived at the tip at 6:30 Monday morning there were warblers in the trees and birders were pointing binoculars and cameras in every direction. Multiple Northern Parulas, Cape May, Black-throated, Chestnut, Blackburnian, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Palm Warblers and American Redstarts were everywhere you turned. It was lovely after a few days of rain and few birds but it was foggy and misty so the lighting was not great for pictures and most of us had to keep wiping glasses and lenses.

We stayed at the tip for a few hours and then twitched (chased) a Yellow-throated Warbler just outside the park and across from the cottage we are staying at. It was the 15th rarity (4th & 5th ranked birds on my list) and I need at least 20 of those ranked birds to hit the 400 if I get all the common species (1st, 2nd & 3rd ranked birds) so I was happy to add another that inches me closer to knowing I will make my goal.

We went back in the park and spent the rest of the day leisurely strolling the trails and for the most part seeing the same warbler species from the morning but better views and lighting made for some lovely encounters with these little colourful birds. We were hoping to catch up with one Golden-winged Warbler of the 3-4 reports that came in throughout the day but we never managed to be in the right place at the right time. We did manage to chat and catch up with many birders who we only see at Pelee, which is the second best thing about Pelee, the birds being first, of course. Late afternoon we decided to head back to the cottage for an early dinner when another Golden-winged report came in so we drove over to the trail and made another attempt along with about 10 other people but again came up empty. On the way out of the park we stopped for a Clay-coloured Sparrow that had eluded us on previous days and finally saw it to add another bird to the list.

Just as we were about to leave once again for the cottage a Glossy Ibis (rarity) was found and off we went 10 minutes out of the park to twitch that bird. Many people arrived at the spot suggested on the post but no Ibis was seen. Texts were sent to verify the spot and then some cars drove off to check the other end of the road. No Ibis at that end.

We decided to head to the cottage for food and hope the Ibis would show up at Hillman Marsh later. While we ate two more reports came in quickly followed by reports that it had also flown. We ate quickly and by then it was back at the original spot and we drove over and saw it with many other happy birders. A nice way to end the day. Rarity #16.

Monday night just at dusk I changed into pyjamas saying “I guess its safe that nothing else is happening” and all three of us started working on blogs and photos. Discord notifications at this time of night are generally more chatter and less sightings but I looked at the notification immediately and saw Chuck-will’s-widow near the tip. Jude was off the couch and heading to the door in seconds. This is a rarity to Ontario that has been non-existent here the last few years. We did not follow Jude out. He had a bike. We would have had to do a 4 km walk there and back with no tram running after 8pm. A thunderstorm complete with crazy lightning started about 30 minutes later. Jude got back very wet but elated that he had heard and seen the bird flying around. The bird is from the Nightjar family and spends the day roosting on branches and then, like owls, flies at dusk and through the night catching insects and moths in their huge mouths.

Tuesday morning we were once again at the tip with even more fog and fewer birds. Early birders had heard the CWWI (birder code for the Chuck-will’s-widow) singing again at dawn and had watched it fly into the trees and disappear. Many people scanned logs and branches in the area, some even using thermal imagers to find heat but the bird was not found during the day. We met up with Angela and Michael from Hamilton and birded with them for the morning. More warblers were high up in the trees so the views were not great but we had a few at eye level. Most of the morning was spent laughing as Michael loves to deliver zinger after zinger generally in my direction. We always have a good time with them. At noon I went into the visitor centre to use the washroom and came out with two extra hikes to lead! The Friends of Point Pelee who organize and run the Festival of Birds offer hikes for novice birders and for some reason our names were suggested as potential leaders. So we will lead our first hike at Pelee tomorrow afternoon.

We left the park to have lunch with another group that is leading a hike up in Carden that we have volunteered to help with too. I believe in giving back and we had so many birders help us when we started I want to pay that forward a bit by sharing our scant knowledge and enthusiasm with newer birders. In the afternoon we had a lovely encounter with a Scarlet Tanager.

At dusk we met up with other birders and went back into the park to try and see the Chuck-will’s-widow. We took the final tram down to the tip and then waited patiently with about 30 birders by the spot it was last seen in the morning. The atmosphere was nervous expectation as we strategized about whether it would show or would our noise or mere presence keep the bird from appearing.

As the sun set the group got quieter and phones and camera were readied to record anything. It had started singing at 8:40 the night before and that time passed. And then at 8:50 the bird flew from the north east side of where we had thought it would be, zooming over a birder’s head and then landed directly in front of us just a foot or two from the forest floor and just a short distance off the road. There was an audible gasp from the group and then we surged forward till we were shoulder to shoulder to enable everyone to see the bird. I helped a few people get to a better spot to view it and the cameras clicked away in the dark. The bird then flew up and around, landed back in the same area, flew around a few more times and then landed out of sight.

Just after seeing the CWWI a number of us heard an Eastern Whip-poor-will singing further down the road but Jerry missed hearing it. We will hear and see this bird up in Rainy River but for the moment it is on my list and not Jerry’s.

Wednesday was quieter with less birds to see and we had to lead a hike in the afternoon so only added one species, the Prothonotary Warbler. Thursday a large number of birds arrived even though the winds had been from the north. A heavy rain storm early at the tip put a damper on people seeing the warblers there but the birds moved into the park and we were seeing larger numbers of warblers, thrushes and flycatchers. Jerry fell on his knee at the tip and while he said it felt fine it swelled up enough to be uncomfortable by lunch and so we opted to spend some time back at the cottage icing it. We then went out and drove the fields in the afternoon and then went back into the park and drove into each picnic area and got out and birded a short distance and then back to the car. We managed to see 45 species in that short time and lots of warblers at eye or ground level. It was a fantastic time and we managed to add 3 more species despite the down-time.

Friday it appeared many of the birds had fed on Thursday and left the park during the night. We were back to lots of walking with nothing much to show for it. We opted to leave the park and drive to some of the shorebird spots and got our first Black Terns of the season. We also went back into the park at night hoping to hear a Whip-poor-will so Jerry could add it and we would be even in species again but we did not hear one. It is crazy to me that we are in the peak weeks of migration and we are only managing to add one to two birds a day. Granted, I have a lot of birds already and we are down to needing only 18 more of the common species and a few more of the 2nd ranked birds. Some we will be more likely to get in the fall but the ones we still need just are not showing up in large numbers yet. And so we wait…we walk the park, we talk and commiserate with other birders and we wait. Saturday was the warmest day yet and also the busiest in the park with weekend birders arriving for what is traditionally the peak of migration. Many of the “hard-core” birders find other places to bird after they visit the tip as the paths and trails are packed and people are excited about the usual birds we have already seen many times.

We walked a bit in the morning and helped people identify what they were seeing and then we opted to head to Holiday Beach for a quieter birding experience. We had three Prothonotary Warblers together in a slough and Jerry had fun photographing them. I’ve added some other great pictures from Pelee in the gallery.

Sunday was Mother’s Day and the park is usually even busier so we opted to stay at the cottage and have a day of rest and catch up with photos, blog and a bit of housekeeping. We said that we would not bird at all but by 9:15 we were in the backyard of the cottage listing 18 species of birds including 4 warbler species. In the afternoon we headed to Hillman and stayed for a few hours as more bird species continued to be found. We added 2 more sandpipers to our list and spent some time letting other birders see things through our scopes.

Every year Point Pelee National Park runs the 100 Species Challenge. If you see 100 species in the Point Pelee area during your stay in May you get a pin with a different bird on it each year. I’ve collected a few of them and generally try to do the 100 species in a day but this year I opted to just get 100 over a number of days. Many of the people coming to Hillman are a few birds away from their goal of 100 so we had some fun finding ducks and shorebirds for them to add to their lists to get them to 100.

Pelee 100 Pins ( Jerry got one in 2018 too)

Week 19 13 species added 281 Ellen 280 Jerry

Week 18 A Week that feels like a Month!

by Ellen Horak | May 4, 2025 | Canada 400

We started the day at the tip of Pelee National Park just after sunrise. Despite south winds overnight there did not appear to be any influx of birds. We stayed for a bit witnessing some reverse migration and added a few birds to the year list. I got a report that an American Bittern was in a tree behind the washroom so we walked over to view it and got some nice pictures.

We then heard about an Olive-sided Flycatcher up at Sparrow Field so we walked up the road to that area but the bird was not being seen. We met up with the Hunters, birders from England that come to Pelee most years and chatted with them until Barb, Garth and Nancy arrived and it became quite social for a bit. We saw our first Baltimore Oriole of the year while we were standing there and then decided to take the interior path back up through Sparrow Field. As soon as I turned on the path I saw a bird in the very top of a tree and just knew it would be the Olive-sided. A quick look with bins and then I shouted out to the people on the road. Everyone was happy to see this very early Flycatcher.

With things being quieter in the park we opted to leave around 11 and visit another favourite spot, Kopegaron Woods. It was noisy with bird song but not with any new species. Around noon a report of a Ruff up in Alliston came through on Discord and while I would love another chance at a Ruff (we missed that one by minutes in BC) I just could not leave Pelee and drive the 4 hours for it. We stopped for an early dinner at Freddies for delicious perch and that perked us up enough to go back to Pelee for another round of Tilden Woods where we managed to find our first Ovenbird (namesake of my blog) of the year and maybe Jerry’s best pic of one yet.

With lots of light left we opted to head over to Hillman Marsh and see about adding some new shorebirds and we were lucky enough to have Jean Iron, renowned shorebird expert, arrive just as we did. With Jean’s assistance we managed to add American Pipit, and a Least Sandpiper that I found but Jean confirmed. We managed to add 6 birds for the day and while not fantastic for spring it was a pretty good day.

Monday night Birdcast had predicted strong migration through the US and so Tuesday we were back at the Tip. There was more reverse migration than yesterday and it was clear there were more birds in the park as we started to see species along the beach in the shrubs. It was a great birding day where we added 10 more species and had the chance to get views of other species we had just had glimpses of.

We were due to head home so decided to leave Pelee and head to Rondeau where there were a few rarities including a sighting of another Yellow-throated Warbler. They seem to be everywhere except where I am! When we got into our car it would not start and we had an error message that our battery was dead. We had stupidly charged our phones while we ate lunch. We have CAA but there is literally no cell service at the Pelee Visitor Center. I went in to talk to staff and they kindly gave us a small self boost thing which we tried but with no instructions we were not sure if we were powering it or not. Anyway, the other staff member was Cam, who helped me out last year many times at the Tip with bird ID’s and where and when to find things, he offered to get another booster from his car which was a bit bigger and it did the job of getting us started. By this time an hour had passed and we just decided to head home. We will be purchasing one of those self boosters to have with us from now on.

Wednesday we had the Lions Bottle Drive and our house is the sorting centre so we spent the morning crushing 1,500 beer cans and sorting hundreds of wine and liquor bottles. We make around $250-300 each drive and hold 2-3 a year. Then another oil change was on the agenda, with all the kilometers it seems like we change the oil every few months. While that was happening a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher from the deep south was found on the Toronto Islands. I started doing the calculations and looking at ferry schedules but it was apparent that we would be battling rush hour traffic and it would be late to arrive there so we thought we might do it Thursday. Instead we headed down to Long Point after a Summer Tanager that had been hanging in someone’s yard all day. It only took us about 10 minutes of chatting with the owner before the bird once again arrived. Bob is not a birder and at first thought the all red bird was a Cardinal but realized after taking pictures that it was different. He put out (some oranges and the bird kept returning. While we did not get stunning close views, we managed to see the bird very well until it was chased into the trees by a Cardinal. We took a walk at the banding station and saw our first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds of the year and then added a Black-throated Blue Warbler that was foraging high in the trees. I had not expected to add any birds with the items on our calendar but 3 new birds anyway.

Our hopes of going for the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher were dashed by a sick grandson who we needed to watch on Thursday and so we spent the day packing for our return to Pelee on Saturday hoping we could get to Toronto on Friday if the bird remained. And then, a crazy afternoon happened – a Painted Bunting was found on Pelee Island, another ferry ride needed to that bird, shortly after, ANOTHER Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Pelee on the Tip!!! UGGGGGH , how I wish I was still there! Then a Franklin’s Gull on the Tip! The storms and winds had definitely brought rarities to Ontario. A Little Blue Heron and White-winged Dove showed up in Thunder Bay. All of these birds are usually in the southern US. While I would love to chase them all and they would be great birds to have on the list if I am going for 400 I do not need to chase every rarity. Jude was busy trying to stay ahead of everything and chase everything, as I was last year. I had the plans set for the Flycatcher and then a report came in that 8 birders had just witnessed it being caught and eaten by a Cooper’s Hawk! Poor bird. And sadly, just like that I didn’t need to get up at 4 to be in Toronto by 6.

Friday we had some errands, and needed to see Babi but we took a few hours in Burlington birding some local hotspots hoping for warblers but there were few around. If I had given it more thought I would have contacted the cottage owner for Pelee and seen about adding a night and gone early so we could have strolled up the beach and viewed the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Pelee but my personality is such that I often cannot imagine deviating from the “Plan”. Anyway, I didn’t and so we focused on getting ready for the trip and then went out in the evening to Safari Marsh and saw our first Sora of the year.

Storms came in Friday night so when we arrived at the beach at Pelee it was windy and rainy and really not ideal for a southern flycatcher to be flitting about catching insects. Hurricane winds came to mind as I struggled down the beach in thick wet sand. So, no Flycatcher. Instead we focused our sights on exploring some of the birds out and about at Pelee despite the drizzly rain most of the day and managed to add 8 more species to our list. The most excitement was a report of a Worm-eating Warbler at Rondeau only an hour away, but we know how difficult they are to re-find so we opted not to go for it.

With more rain in the forecast for Sunday we decided to head to Rondeau for the day as it is better for getting off trails to your car than at Pelee where you can often be 30 minutes or more from your car. We slept in till almost 6 LOL and then stopped at Blenheim Sewage Lagoons to see a Wilson’s Phalarope in beautiful breeding plumage but as we got inside the gates a report came in that the Worm-eating Warbler had been re-found so we opted to head there as we were only 15 minutes away. It would be a lovely bird to add to our list as we missed seeing it last year. There were many birders on the trail and so no shortage of eyes looking enabling us to look at other warblers around and add birds to our list. After a couple of hours we were behind a couple who stopped to look at something and Jerry and I saw movement in the underbrush but could not identify a bird. I asked her what she had seen and she said Worm-eating Warbler! I thought she was joking! But we looked into the area where the “bird” had gone and Jerry thought he saw something with the right colouring, I saw something as well that could have been but unfortunately nothing definitive. It might be the bird that got away, who knows…we passed the info to Jude who arrived minutes later but the bird was not seen again. We ate a leisurely lunch in our car and then the most amazing news arrived! Another, the third, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was found at Long-Point! Another chance, how could that even be possible that we would get a third chance at this species. It was 2 hours away, we immediately started driving. As we drove, a report that a Prairie Warbler was at the same place. Double bonus!

When we arrived and got out to the beach where the Flycatcher was being seen there was only one birder to tell us it had not been seen for about 30 minutes. Ahhh, the highs and lows of birding, excitement on the drive, disappointment it might be gone. We scanned the trees, more birders arrived, and suddenly Jax, way down the beach started waving and running towards us pointing to the trees, we all started sprinting (in my mind) but it was more like a slow plodding because of the deep sand. He went up into the dunes, some of us followed, the bird flew out, we ran down the dunes. It would have made a very funny video watching all of us birders with binoculars and cameras, coats flapping, hats askew, all trying to chase this very fast bird. Finally, it perched. We managed to stop gasping enough to take pictures and enjoy seeing this beautiful bird. And then it was off again and we headed to see the Prairie Warbler that was just a minute away. We heard it before we saw it and that led us to the shrub it was in. Woo-hoo! two great birds at once.

Totally worth the 5 hours in the car, because now we had a 3 hour drive back to Pelee. We stopped at Blenheim again on our way home where we had started our day and saw the beautiful Wilson’s Phalarope. We took some pics and drove the final hour.

We picked up pizza and just got in the door of the cottage, ate 2 slices and a report came in of a Snowy Egret only 40 minutes away. It was pouring rain, but a Snowy Egret is a good rarity to have. I drove as Jerry had driven the last leg and just as we got close he realized that he did not have his camera! Agggh, we were in such a hurry to leave he had not grabbed it. The Egret was off a bridge on a roadway so there was limited space to park but we pulled over, jumped out, saw the Egret, took some pics with my Iphone and then hopped back in the car in 4 minutes. One of our faster twitches and while I would have loved to stay and enjoy the bird the reality was it was pouring, the bird was hunkered down, I was hungry and tired. We headed back to warm up the pizza and to write this post.

Whew! what a week and we have just been at Pelee for two days! It already feels like a month!

Week 18 36 Species added 268 J&E

Week 17 Pink Feet!

by Ellen Horak | Apr 27, 2025 | Canada 400

Monday we decided to go to Pelee in the hopes we could add a substantial amount of birds in one place rather than traveling around from place to place adding 1-2 birds at a time. There was rain in the morning so we took our time and arrived at 10:30 just as the sun was coming out. We worked our way to the tip walking through Woodland trail and started adding birds – Eastern Towhee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Green Heron. We were happy that it looked like it was going to be a good day! When we got out to the Tip there were many tourists walking out. During bird migration people are asked not to go out to the end until after 10am to allow birds time to rest and birders opportunities to see the birds. It was well after 10 so we also walked out to the end and took the obligatory selfies at the most southern point of Canada.

By the time we made it back from the Tip to the Visitor Center it was after 2 and we had added 10 species. We sat to eat our lunch and Rick (Pelee ambassador extraordinaire) joined us for a chat. He commented on how relaxed we looked compared to how we looked last year while doing our Ontario Year, haha. We had to agree! This year has a totally different feel partly because of the external issues we had last year and also because I’ve made it just the 400 goal. He also told us that there were two vireos at the Tip which we had somehow missed seeing. So after our lunch we took the tram back down and walked up the east side of the beach again where there were a number of warblers moving around. Sure enough we eventually found the Blue-headed Vireo and a White-eyed Vireo. Awesome looks at both of them as they moved along the beach and Jerry got some lovely pictures. It turned out to be a 3-Vireo day.

We had to leave because the last tram left at 5pm and I did not want to add another 2.5 kms of walking to our total of 13.4 km. At the end of the day we had added 16 species to our Canada and Ontario lists, had some great looks at birds and Jerry took some great pictures.

On Monday reports floated around on Discord that a very rare Burrowing Owl had been photographed on Sunday somewhere in Wellington County and apparently intrepid local birders took the day driving around trying to find it since no one was sharing where it had been seen. Late in the afternoon someone managed to find it! A few local birders got the first calls and got out to see it. I got the location a bit later but there was not enough time to get there before dark. I expect to see this owl out in the grasslands in Saskatchewan and we have seen them before in a few places so it was not a lifer but I figured it would be a good Ontario bird to get. By late evening the OBA and OFO decided since the location was being shared like wildfire that they try to at least enact some protocols for viewing. It was posted where to park, to keep quiet, to only view from a certain area away from where the owl had been seen, to be courteous with the locals and of course to bird with respect and integrity. Owl sightings are notorious for bringing out the worst in birders and photographers and most sightings seem to end up with some drama and confrontations. I have kinda stopped going to many of the major sightings because I just don’t feel good about it. I don’t like to think that I am contributing to the problems, but of course we are just by choosing to go and see the bird. Against my better judgement, I decided the Burrowing Owl was worth it. We arrived at 6:45am on Tuesday and there were maybe 20 cars with more arriving every minute. Many people were spread along the road with scopes and cameras. The wind was very strong and it was cold! Not really conducive to a small owl from the south coming out to enjoy the day I thought. We spent 30 minutes chatting quietly with birders and searching the grasses a long way away but no sign of the tiny owl. We decided to leave and return when it was sunnier and warmer later in the day, if it was seen. It was not seen again.

When we left we decided to check out the Glen Morris Pond, as we have been for the last week or so, hoping Virginia Rail and Sora had arrived. As soon as we opened our windows we could here the kid-dik, kid-dik calls of the Rail. We stopped for a bit and Jerry got out to see if he might get a picture but the Rail flew up and then back down before he could get his camera up. We heard 2 Gallinules as well but no Sora yet. As we headed home we stopped at a small wet area in a farm field and did a quick scope and found another species to add to the list, a Solitary Sandpiper.

Jerry had a dentist appointment in the afternoon so I went along and we stopped at the Desjardin Canal to add a Black-crowned Night Heron to the list. Before we left a report of a Rock Wren at Pelee had come in but again we will get that species in BC so I don’t have to rush for it as I would have had to last year. A few hours later though a report came in of a Yellow-throated Warbler at Pelee, exactly where we had our lovely vireos yesterday. Ugggh! The vagaries of this hobby! That is the second Yellow-throated Warbler I have missed and there are not that many in any given year.

Wednesday we decided to take our youngest grandchildren out of school and do a birding outing to Long Point. Yes, we wanted to be in close proximity to any potential rarities but also we wanted to spend some time with them before we leave for the west. We visited the banding centre and had a good time seeing all the birds close up. Hannah felt very sad for the birds in the net but they both were happy to follow a netted Blue-headed Vireo patiently through the banding process until it was released again.

Thursday morning we were up at 5:30am and in Dundas by 6:30 to make our 3rd attempt at the Louisiana Waterthrush. We carefully walked the trail along the stream and after about 20 minutes we heard the familiar song! It continued for the next 20 minutes while we attempted to actually find the singing bird in the trees across the stream. It is so frustrating, It sounded like it was coming from directly in front of us but despite scanning with our bins and looking for any movement we could not find it. For the moment it will go in as a “Heard Only”. We headed back home, changed quickly and were on our yoga mats for class just after 9am. The temperature continued to rise and we opted to stay home and get our porch set up for summer with our mosquito curtains attached and the furniture all placed.

Late Thursday (they always arrive late in the day) a report came in of a Blue Grosbeak up near Lake Simcoe so we were ready in the morning to leave as soon as it was confirmed to still be there. On Friday we were on the road just after 7 and arrived at 9:30am. We met up with Margaret who had just seen it and gave us detailed instructions for viewing this skulky bird. It had been flushed many times by people, dogs and vehicles so we tried to stay back. We did manage to find it deep in the shrubs and tangles but it was quite a while before it came out onto the grass to feed and allowed everyone to get great pictures. A group of school kids on a field trip were heading to the area the bird was so I went over to explain what was happening and asked for the their cooperation in not flushing the rare bird. They were very curious and we ended up letting kids use our bins, Jean got out her scope and we had a little impromptu class on bird migration and Blue Grosbeaks!

We decided to head home but stop on the way for a reported Least Bittern in a park in Mississauga. Like all the rails, they tend to be heard but not always seen so I was hoping we would get a chance to see it in a small pond where it was likely very hungry from its flight over the lake. I brought out our scope and scanned all the reeds along the edges but could not see anything. Then I scanned again, and again and saw a slightly darker colour that did not fit the reed colour. It was the back of the Bittern. It moved around a bit but did not give us great views. We waited, scoped and scanned. Finally, it ventured out of the reeds for a full look at it in the scope and Jerry was able to take a picture. Within a minute or two it disappeared back into the reeds.

Saturday the phone was pinging as people got out on a blustery cold Saturday with lots of good birds being found: Summer Tanager, American Avocet, Golden-winged Warbler, and Hooded Warbler. We stayed local and added a Bank Swallow on a quick stop at the Storm pond on our way to see Babi. Our plan was to head to Pelee Sunday and Monday since south winds were in the forecast for a prequel to the big two week adventure starting the following week. I wanted to prepare some food and pack but at 3:00 the “ping” was a Pink-footed Goose 2.5 hours away near Wasaga. We didn’t go for the Ottawa one as I hoped to get the species out in Newfoundland but with one that close we had to go for it. We were in the car in about 5 minutes and arrived at 5:20. It was windy, really windy, and raining. There were a few birders huddled with scopes between cars so we joined them and got our first glimpses of a Pink-footed Goose! A lifer! Henrique found the bird and stayed around helping everyone get onto the bird. Thanks so very much Henrique! It was very far back in the field and not the most satisfying looks but at one point, once I had it in my own scope, it stood up and stretched its wings and I had a lovely view of the bird for a few seconds. Unfortunately, we did not get to see its incredible pink feet! Jerry tried to take some pictures but the rain and distance made it difficult. Hopefully, we will see the Newfoundland bird and get a nice picture then, pink feet and all.

View from the road for the Pink-footed Goose

Sunday morning we arrived at Pelee at 8 am and walked through Tilden because a road race had blocked off the Woodland Trail and the tip until noon. We were hoping to refind a Kentucky Warbler and get a picture of a Louisiana Waterthrush. We did a few loops and heard Louisiana as well as Northern Waterthrush. There are subtle differences between the two and there is often controversy over what species people are seeing. We had it on good authority that there was a Northern and Louisiana showing together in a wet area but by the time we got there only the Northern could be seen. Jerry got pictures and then we waited patiently until we saw another small brown warbler with very white underparts. Unfortunately, it was a quick look and no picture just like last year. We will try many times over the coming weeks to see if we can get a picture. We ended up seeing 4 White-eyed Vireos, a bird we added on Monday’s trip to Pelee. Jerry managed great pictures again.

We headed back to the visitor centre and passed a birder we spent lots of time with at the tip last year and he let us know that a Chat had been found. We had to work around the closed area for the race, found the footpath and waited with another group of birders for another skulky bird to show itself. It only took about 10 mins and the Yellow-breasted Chat popped up. Jerry was down the path and there was a second where I thought, “do I call him?” Of course I would never! So I whisper-shouted immediately and he got back in time to see it and to get some pictures. We will get Chats out in BC but they are sometimes hard to find out there too so anything I can do to limit what I have to find in the heat of June/July is good. A report then came in that the Kentucky Warbler had been re-found in a spot we had walked by twice today so we headed back to that spot and waited again, patiently. After about 10 minutes it popped up a bit further away but everyone waiting got on it and we saw it multiple times as it worked its way across in front of us. Two very good, tough birds to get, and we had them – it was a good day! And Jerry got pictures!

After that things got quiet. We walked 13.8km total for the day. We headed to our hotel around 4 and went out for some yummy Mexican food at our favourite spot in Leamington (Salsa Caliente) with Jude, who also got the Chat and Kentucky for his Big Year. South winds predicted for tonight so hope we start week 18 off with a bang!

Week 17 30 species added 232 species E&J

Week 20 You Can’t get them All

by Ellen Horak | May 19, 2024 | Ontario Birds 2024

Monday found us at the Tip again for a bit of reverse migration but no great amounts of migrants and no rarities going off. Once we started up from the Tip with Theresa, Angela and Michael, we found our first of the year Philadelphia Vireo. It was high in the tree but Jerry managed some photos that show the yellow on the chest and the undertail coverts. It was HOT! The birding was ok but we did not add any other species. We did have good looks at an Olive-sided Flycatcher again and very nice views of roosting Common Nighthawks.

We staked out a few areas where Mourning and Canada Warblers had been seen and heard but we dipped on those. We spent the evening in the park because in the past we have found it can be quite birdy but the heat continued and things were quiet. We decided that we would head home on Tuesday, still do the tip in the morning but then head to Rondeau.

Tuesday at the Tip started with more shorebirds than there had been with closer looks at Ruddy Turnstone, Plovers and some Spotted Sandpipers. And then someone yelled out Pelicans and we all watched 7 American White Pelicans fly closer and closer and eventually land at the Tip! We will see these huge birds up near Rainy River but it was nice to get them off the list now and add them to my Point Pelee list.

A few minutes later Keith and Cameron looked down at their phones (I had little reception as usual) and said White-faced Ibis at Hillman, start walking! This was the morning that the Trams had broken down and we had already done the walk up 3.7km but now were faced with the walk back and at a faster pace. It would be a great bird to add to my list. As we walked we fretted about the ID – Glossy Ibis and White-faced Ibis are very similar and many get mis-identified. We had to go for it though. We ran into Josh near the Visitor Center and had a quick convo with him assuring us the finder of the bird was a careful birder and the ID was probably correct. We reached our car a bit winded, ok a lot winded!, we are in our 60’s ya know, and started the excruciatingly slow drive (40km) out of the park and then to Hillman. My phone finally caught up and a note came in that the Ibis had flown, uggggh, then two minutes later, it was back! Yes! Then as we got closer to Hillman, a note from the Tip – a rare Yellow-throated Warbler had just reversed off! AHHHHH!, then a few minutes later, a rare Eurasian-Collared Dove had flown by the Tip. WHAT!!! There were a lot of choice words uttered in the car! The emotions went from low, high, low and ended in frustration. I have been at that Tip waiting for just those birds to go by for days and days and the one time I leave to get something else!! GRRRRRRR! We got to Hillman and I ran/walked to the Shorebird Cell terrified that the bird would fly before I could see it and there was the Ibis calmly feeding, without a care in the world. I got a great bird but missed two I really wanted to get. And that is this crazy hobby, best laid plans but nature has its own agenda and I have really little control as to how this will all pan out. And as it would turn out the White-faced Ibis stayed for 2 days so I could have stayed at the Tip for those other birds and sauntered over later, as many other birders did, but YOU JUST DO NOT KNOW!

With Trams not working it made little sense to go back into the Park and do the 3.7km walk twice more in the hopes that the two rarities would reverse a few more times. They did reverse but not within a time frame that we could have got there again from where we were. We continued towards Rondeau and home and decided to make a stop at Zion Road, a spot for Lake Watching, with the thought that maybe the Dove would make a fly past as it did about a week ago. We met Tim and Jeremy doing a watch and joined them to see about 900 Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlins and Turnstones land in the fields and then take off and land again. Whimbrels joined them, other Passerines migrated overhead. What was also flying around? Millions of Midges had hatched. When we walked to the Tip in the morning I had heard this weird humming and commented that it sounded like a horror movie before some swarm of killer bees arrived and we had discussed what it might be and now I was seeing what it had been.

Eventually, the migration slowed and we had not seen a Eurasian-collared Dove or a Swallow-tailed Kite go past so we headed on to Rondeau. We spent the afternoon walking some of our favourite spots at Rondeau and finally tracked down 2 Gray-cheeked Thrush to add to our list as well as Jerry getting some better pictures of birds previously seen. Late afternoon we headed home arriving around 7pm. The heaviest migration week was over, we had survived and seen most of what we wanted to. Laundry, food, photos, lists all needed to be done. For the first time in 3 weeks we were not waking to an alarm although I was awake at 4:40 am anyway LOL.

Wednesday we chased a Stilt Sandpiper George and Marcus had found the day before but dipped on it, before heading to Jerry’s moms for caregiving duties. While home we missed a Bell’s Vireo found by Bob and Glenda at Pelee and a White-winged Dove found by Tim and Jeremy at Rondeau. Such are the constraints we have with this Big Year and there is nothing we can do about it. I’m grateful his Mom does not currently require more care and that we can get away for birding as much as we have. And I have my fingers permanently crossed that it continues until after our trip to Rainy River at the very least.

Thursday morning we were on duty to get our grandkids to school and then headed out to some of our local patches to mop up a few of the species we were still missing. We added Willow Flycatcher in the wetland behind their house to complete our list of 144 Common Species! We headed to Gilkison Flats where we met up with George S. and had a leisurely walk trying in vain to actually see the birds we were hearing. Within 10 minutes we had heard both Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a first for Jerry, and a Black-billed Cuckoo, a first for both of us. We will see these birds in the coming weeks as they routinely come through our yard and often stay in the area for the summer. We headed home and enjoyed some time on our back porch, listening and watching our yard Orioles and Grosbeaks and feeling quite relaxed for the first time in a few weeks. I even managed a nap. After dinner we headed out to local swamps to add our last two warblers we missed at Pelee when a report of a Blue Grosbeak came up in London, only an hour away. We headed there but a report came in when we were half-way there that it was a misidentification – it was a molting Indigo Bunting, that can look somewhat similar. Jerry suggested that we should have waited for confirmation but if we had and it was really the Grosbeak there would not have been enough daylight left to drive there and try to get the bird. So you can never win with these situations. We headed home, having not got our warblers or a Blue Grosbeak.

Willow Flycatcher the 144th and last Common Species

Friday morning we once again headed to the local swamps and quickly heard a Canada Warbler where we hear it most years. We tried for 10-15 minutes to find it in the dense shrubs and trees but despite it sounding like it was right in front of us we were not able to find it.

This is the continual frustration of this very quick spring and leaf out. We usually have a few weeks of barren branches with just buds allowing great looks at all the warblers but this year it has been almost impossible to see anything really well. I hope that we will see this bird on its breeding grounds on our north trip in a few weeks so that we can get a photo. We looked for a few other species that were singing and then moved on to the next swamp area where we heard the “churry churry churry” song of the Mourning Warbler to complete our needed Warblers list. Again, we hope to see this bird at some point at one of the breeding areas close by so that Jerry can get photos and we can actually see the bird.

On Saturday a Kirtland’s Warbler was finally heard singing at Pelee and since we were in the area we drove over to see if it could be seen or heard again. There had been some migration and birds were lower in the trees and in a bit more quantity than previous weeks so we enjoyed seeing some warblers including a Canada that we had just heard yesterday. We also had quick looks at a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher to add to the list. No one refound the Kirtland’s although it might have been re-heard a few times before we arrived. While we were searching for the Kirtland’s 6 hours east of us a Worm-eating Warbler was found and seen that day. I suspect that those were our last chances at those two rare warblers and they will not be added to our list this year.

This week we did add King Rail to our list. This is an Endangered and Sensitive Species in Ontario so I am not at liberty to tell the whereabouts or the story behind our getting it. Their nesting locations are kept very secret and we were fortunate to have an experienced birder take us to hear one. I have hidden the checklist as I know that people can see those on my profile and I do not want the birds put in jeopardy. Usually, I love nothing more than sharing locations and helping others find birds but this is one that, sadly, I cannot.

I expect that we will hit 300 species on the Rainy River trip in a few weeks unless some more rarities arrive in the next week. We are close…9 birds away.

Week 20 144 Common Species are completed All 28 expected Warbler species seen or heard 19 rare birds and 9 mega rare have been seen 10 more species added Total Species seen this year 291 for J&E

Week 19 the week that feels like a month…

by Ellen Horak | May 12, 2024 | Ontario Birds 2024

Monday we returned to Pelee, a bit late in the morning as we had a late night emergency with Jerry’s mom and only got to bed at 2am. I wish we had left even later so that we were close to Long Point when a report came in for the first Ontario record of a White-tailed Kite seen by Rowan of Hamilton. Instead we were minutes from arriving at Pelee, 3 hours away. Kites can stick around in an area but more than not they arrive and leave. I made the decision not to go and apparently it was seen again by a very few birders. Instead we spent an enjoyable day in the park finally catching up on some warblers and talking to a lot of people and helping others get on birds. The leaves are out A LOT and the birds were feeding very HIGH. I had “warbler neck” very quickly. A term birders use for the cricks and pain we get in our necks from looking straight up with bins held to our eyes. It was lovely hearing the songs of warblers too and we were pleasantly surprised that we recognized a few more than last year. Merlin is definitely helping with that as we can take a guess at a song before seeing the bird and get Merlin to confirm that is what it is. A useful tool if used properly.

We ended up seeing another 6 species of warbler and added a Wood Thrush that we heard singing in the woods. We then headed to flooded fields and Hillman Marsh and added 2 shorebirds and a Black Tern.

Tuesday morning was a little cool with north-east winds, the worst winds to have at Pelee and predictably there was only a few new migrants in the park and no reverse migration taking place. We only checked the tip for a short time and then wandered up into the middle of the park. Each day we check the west beach path either going to the tip or coming back for the possibility of unearthing a rarity like Kirtland’s Warbler that is almost always found on that West side. The park still had nice pockets of warblers but nothing that we didn’t already have. We met up with Pelee friends Cindy and Judy for a walk through Tilden and almost immediately saw a Golden-winged Warbler that had been reported in the area earlier. This is a highly sought-after species and often tough to get so we were very happy to see it.

It would turn out to be the only bird we added for the day despite walking 16km through the park.

Wednesday morning the anticipation was high after south winds and a rain storm but nothing much happened at Pelee. Reports from along Lake Ontario came in with numerous warblers about but not so much where we were. I was a tad disappointed but there is always something to get at Pelee and we quickly added another common species, the Red-eyed Vireo. I now only have 2 more common species to get and that list of 144 can be put aside. We also added a Bay-breasted Warbler leaving us with only 2 more expected warblers to see, the Canada and Mourning. I got on a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that a group had spotted on one of the trails but despite my best efforts Jerry did not see it before it flew off. It is a bird that often appears in our back yard and we see often in Brantford so I know he will get it, but for the moment I am one bird ahead of him. He is taking it more graciously than I probably would.

Just before noon a report of a Kirtland’s Warbler came in but instead of at Pelee where they traditionally are, this one was in Grimsby! ARGGGGH! 3.5 hours away. What to do? What to do? I knew I should go for it but at the same time I also felt if I went for it I would miss something at Pelee and maybe one would be found at Pelee or Rondeau, the more traditional areas. So we did not go. And I was upset most of the afternoon that I had not gone as the reports kept coming in that it was still being seen. Around 4 a late report came in that a Worm-eating Warbler had been seen at noon in the same area as the one on the weekend when we were not here at Pelee. Cell service is bad and people try to report but messages don’t go through. So we decided to go over and stake out the Worm-eating Warbler. We took water, snacks and stools and sat and walked the path that it was last seen. Our hope was that it would sing as they spend most of their time on the ground, I assume, looking for worms and are difficult to see. We were prepared to sit until dusk. Then at 6:14 my phone started going crazy with dings and whistles, a Ferruginous Hawk, a western species, was 30 mins away in a tree. We headed back to the car, not running, but walking quickly and then had a tortured drive out of the park behind cars driving 32 kmph! It is the one time I did not feel calm. I bugged Jerry to drive faster. How long would the hawk sit in the tree? Messages were being sent that it was still in the tree and people were being asked to stay in their cars so the bird did not flush. When we finally arrived there were easily 30-40 cars pulled over on Highway 3 and people at the back ends had to be out of the car to see the bird in a tree just off the road on the opposite side. It was a crazy sight and I forgot to take a pic of all the cars and people in my excitement to be there and SEE THE BIRD! The record shot is of the hawk’s butt and from a distance but I’ve added Jerry’s best pic of a Ferruginous Hawk taken in Alberta in 2022 so you know what it looks like.

And suddenly I felt better about not going for the Kirtland’s. Although that would be short-lived, as ,it would turn out that the Hawk was refound the next day and the Kirtland’s was not and so some birders did end up getting both birds. Sigh!

Thursday was cool in the morning with rain starting in the afternoon. We staked out the Worm-eating area again in the morning instead of going to the Tip and while we heard and saw a variety of warblers the Worm-eating was not one of them. We walked our usual West Beach Path ever hopeful of turning up a Kirtland’s and then decided to head back to the car and check the local fields for shorebirds. On our way out a report for a Black-billed Cuckoo came in from the area we were driving past so we stopped to check it out. A group of birders with cameras pointed up are a sure sign of something good but instead of the Cuckoo it was an Olive-sided Flycatcher. A nice surprise and a bird that we often do not see in the spring but we have migrating through our local area in the fall. A bit further up the path were the two kinds of Tanagers, Scarlet and Summer, as well as an Orange variant of the Scarlet Tanager.

It rained into the evening and we were happy to just stay in our hotel, order pizza and catch up on photos, blog and lists.

Friday morning we were up really early, that happens when you fall asleep at 10, and into the park by 5:12. You might think we were first into the park at that time since it only opens at 5 but the parking lot was half full and the first tram was easily almost filled. We chose to walk, our only cardio of the day usually, and enjoyed hearing the birds start to wake as the sky lightened. There were few birds at the tip which was not a surprise with north winds but we hung out a bit socializing with friends.

We walked up to Sparrow field with Barry and Margaret from Toronto but it was pretty quiet until we got to the Red Bud Path and saw a beautiful Hooded Warbler. As we walked out a group of us were sure we saw a Mississippi Kite fly over. I had a poor view but the others were very sure. We rushed to the Visitor Center hoping it had flown there and others would have seen it to confirm the sighting but no one saw anything. Some birders already had scopes set up hoping the Ferruginous Hawk would be moving through Pelee so they checked out some distant birds and one seemed a candidate for Kite, pictures were taken and shown to an excellent birder who confirmed it was a Kite. Excitement and happy dance ensued. And then a report of a Cattle Egret 5 minutes away just outside the park came in so we headed for that. A Swallow-tailed Kite was also reported at Rondeau just an hour away. We got the Cattle Egret quickly and I decided to head to Rondeau for a chance to see the other Kite. 20 minutes later the report is the Kite was now heading to Pelee! We turned around and headed back down the highway now at least 10 minutes behind the Kite. It was the first time I’ve lost it this year, so disappointed that I had made the “wrong” decision yet again and most of the birders at Pelee would likely see the Kite and I would not. To make matters worse, Margaret texted me to say Sarah (another stellar birder) had reviewed the photos and our Kite was not a Mississippi Kite but a Broad-winged Hawk. The only consolation was the Kite didn’t head into Pelee and so only a few people outside the Park saw the Kite as it went through further north so I was only one of many frustrated birders. But on a positive note we did add a Cattle Egret, another rarity on my list! My hope is that this year will make us better birders from all the mistakes we make along the way and those future Big Year Birders reading this will also learn what not to do. LOL!

Saturday we were back at the Tip after south winds and still quiet. Some new migrants appeared in the park but it still didn’t feel like many arrived. A thunderstorm rolled in quite early and put a stop to all bird watching as we all headed for cover at the Tram stop. The rain persisted for a bit while we all chatted about, well, birding, and when it slowed we headed out to bird with our niece Theresa. We managed to see a few warblers and hear many singing but not visible in the leaf covered shrubs and the high leafed out trees. It was a challenge to ID anything and a challenge to share the information. We only added a Common Nighthawk roosting on a tree branch but Theresa, as a new birder, added a few lifers which is also exciting for us to remember that feeling.

Late afternoon we headed to Hillman after a report of a Western Sandpiper and managed to find the small piper with a limp (injured, not a trait of Western Sandpiper) among all the Dunlin. Just as we were finishing up another rainstorm hit and we headed for the car and called it a day.

Sunday we opted to head to Rondeau as it was Mother’s Day and Pelee gets packed with families. We were waiting on a report of a Blue Grosbeak we were thinking of chasing. It was pleasantly birdy at Warbler Way but nothing new for our list. Still it was nice to just enjoy the birds and Jerry tried for better photos of some. The Blue Grosbeak was refound so we decided to head out only to get a report 20 mins later of a Townsend’s Warbler (a Western Species) from Rondeau. Man, we just cannot get a break, every decision seems to be the wrong one. We opted to turn back and try for the Townsends but it had flown by the time we got there and was not refound that day. By the time we did a few loops hoping to find the warbler we opted not to go for the Grosbeak and of course it was seen again around 4. We spent the day at the park but did not add any species. We did had lovely conversations with many people including Susan and Jim who will also be doing a Canada Big Year in 2025. Susan has helped me with this Big Year as she is a veteran of one in 2022 when she saw 335 species!

On the way home we stopped at Wheatley Harbour, our habit, and managed to add the only bird of the day, a Whimbrel. And so the week that feels like a month comes to an end. And where will I be tomorrow? AT THE TIP!

The stats are: 1 Common Bird left – Willow Flycatcher, 9 spring migrants left, 2 Warblers left, Canada and Mourning then we move to finishing Special Trips for Birds and then all that is left are the few Fall birds that come through and rarities. We have driven a shocking 21,800 km and walked 603 km so far.

Week 19 26 rarities so far 21 species added this week 281 total species E 280 total species J

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