Worm-eating Warbler | The Ovenbird Blog

Pelee Week 2

by Ellen Horak | May 17, 2026 | 2026

May 9

Traditionally the middle Saturday of the birding festival is the busiest as many birders expect it to be peak migration. The talk was the park would be closed once 750 vehicles were in the gate. I’m not sure it reached that number but It was packed. We made sure to get up and in the park for just after 5am. We walked to the tip as we have done most mornings so I can warm up a bit from the chilly mornings. There were some migrants in but still nothing like a fall out or even multiple birds of one species. This has been such a strange, late year. It was bound to happen sometime. More people than birds.

Still, birders were happy to look and look again at the same species or the same bird multiple times and of course there is a big social element to this festival. There are some birders we only see at Pelee every year and so it is a time to catch up with old friends and meet new people. Most of us recognize names from ebird lists and Discord so it is always nice to meet new people that you feel like you already know. While we walked 11 km of trails the rest of the day we added only 4 new birds for the year, Yellow-throated Vireo, Swainson’s Thrush, Bay-breasted Warbler, and Black Tern. We had some nice looks at Red-headed Woodpecker and went to see the Yellow-breasted Chat again.

We also stopped to take pictures of the celebrity Eastern-Screech Owl that is on everyone’s checklist as it has chosen to nest right along the main road of the park so that almost every birder, I assume, will have it on their list or a picture of it.

In order to see the Black Terns we had to stop along the east shore of Hillman Marsh where we had distant views of them feeding over the water. Our next stop was one of our favourite places, Kopegaron Woods. This Carolinian Forest has a boardwalk meandering through a wetland and forest of large trees. There were reports of Summer and Scarlet Tanager but we only managed to see the male Scarlet Tanager.

Scarlet Tanager still molting from its winter/juvenile plumage of green

I was super hungry having not eaten much and we had walked the the usual 15km so after Kopegaron we headed to Taylor’s Seafood for perch. It was sooooo yummy that I could eat it every day.

Taylor’s 12 perch plus 2 fries – Yes we shared!!! Although I was hungry enough to eat all 12!

May 10

Mother’s Day is also a busy day in the Park but most birders opt to not go in or just do the tip first thing and get out by noon as many families arrive to enjoy Mother’s Day picnics and hikes. This year we went to the tip but no birds again and then opted to stay in the park for most of the day sticking with the seasonal paths that are less used by the other visitors. We only added American Pipit at the tip and no other new species. We managed to see 77 species in the park so there were birds around but again, not the quantity we expect at Pelee. The weather was lovely and we covered the usual trails for 15 km and chatted with birders we met along the way so the number of birds did not matter. We opted to have dinner in as it is always busy at the restaurants. They were handing out complimentary bags of veggies at the festival food desk so we had a lovely fresh salad with our meal of American Goulash.

May 11

It was 6:15 when we got into the park but since it was Monday we still got into the visitor centre parking. There are fewer birders than normal so we even got onto the tram as there was no line-up. Many birders will not show up until they know that there has been a substantial migration flight. The tip, as it has been for the previous 8 days, was quiet with no discernible migration. We did a loop of the beach and interior paths and saw two Clay-coloured Sparrows in a tree but not much else so we then headed up to the Visitor’s Centre via the road and Post-Woods.

We stopped birding at noon because we were not seeing many birds and decided to go back to the cottage for a rest and showers. While we were at home reports of a co-operating Worm-eating Warbler kept coming in on the Rare Bird Alert. It was annoying us to the point where Jerry said we should just go and see if we could see it. We went back to the park and pulled into Park Orientation which was jammed with vehicles. There was a spot at the curb that was not a parking spot but I could see people with cameras and bins looking at something a few feet away. Jerry stopped the car, we both jumped out and ran over and had beautiful views of a Worm-eating Warbler. Just stellar views! The best we have ever seen in Ontario. Jerry snapped some pictures as it landed on a branch right beside him and then the other photographers and birders moved in around him. He took a few more photos and we jumped back in the car and left so others could use the space. it was a 2 minute twitch (chase)!

We then headed to Hillman and saw some shorebirds but nothing new. We had some lovely looks at Short-billed Dowitchers allowing us to practice our identification skills between Long-billed and Short-billed.

When we left Hillman I wanted to stop at Pelee Wings to rent some binoculars for our friends arriving the next day but they suggested we had to go to the Marsh store in the park to get the bins. While that was happening an Ash-throated Flycatcher had been found in the park near Dunes and we were now just 1.5km from there getting the bins so we had to go for that bird, a mega rarity from Arizona/Texas and an Ontario first for us. We walked over from the Marsh boardwalk taunting the bird to leave by taking our time but I’m a bit curious this year to see whether most rarities have to be chased right away or not. When we got to the beach it was not being seen and after some chasing from beach to seasonal path we found the group that had seen it and ended up with wonderful views from the beach. So far the three rarities we have “chased” later have all been seen.

Ash-throated Flycatcher – first for us in Ontario – should be in Arizona or Texas

We had originally planned to meet Dorlisa for dinner but she went for the Ash-throated and then we went so we were texting back and forth and eventually met for dinner at 7 instead of the original 5:30. Birds before anything else! We ate at Crave Bar and Grill – the food was very good – Jerry tried their Jackfruit Tacos and I had the Perch tacos and once again I forgot to take pictures. What is happening to my brain?

We added only two new birds to the Ontario year list on the 9th and both were rarities. This is really unprecedented for spring migration. A few migrants each day but nothing like the numbers we are used to. There are 3 billion less birds in North America since the 70’s and so each year the number migrating is less. Sometimes they bypass Pelee but all along the lakes it is the same story right now – few warblers. The talk now is it might not happen until Friday/Saturday and we leave on Saturday so we might have to make it a very late day on Saturday before heading home. We will see what tomorrow brings.

May 12

Still nothing at the tip. Ten days and not one day of a decent influx of birds. We did have our best looks at Ruddy Turnstones close to the birders instead of down at the tip.

We walked the familiar trails and added nothing to the year list. There are birds but the same birds we have been seeing for the last few days. Our friends Marg and Lawson arrived at noon and spoiled us by bringing lunch. How nice it would be to have a personal chef LOL. Thanks Marg! Marg has been my editor extraordinaire for all the blogs I have posted from 2023 on which has been awesome for me as I hate making errors in these posts. I owe her bigly! We took them into the park and did the touristy things since this was their first visit to Pelee and their first “bird-watching.” We took the tram to the tip and walked out a ways to take the obligatory selfie at the southern most point of Ontario and the 42nd Parallel sign. The guys walked up the tower while Marg and I sat on a bench and caught up.

We took the tram back down to the visitor centre and walked through Tilden. It was birdy and they saw 12 species of warbler including a Red-headed Woodpecker. We had nice low looks at Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, and a Cape May having a bath in one of the sloughs.

Dinner was at Freddy’s and the Fattoush salad and Perch dinner were excellent as they always are. The forecast was for SW winds and rain in the night so maybe something will arrive if there is anything on the other side of the lake. Fingers and toes are crossed.

May 13

We got to the tip later than normal but there had been little there and still limited migration at the tip. Later it was obvious there were more birds that had come in further in the park. But the tip was pretty empty- Day 11. Places along eastern Lake Ontario had mini fallouts of warblers so they are finally starting to move. We took the tram both ways and walked the trails with Marg and Lawson seeing some different warblers from yesterday. They were getting better with using binoculars and getting better at spotting movement and seeing the bird. It was fun to share our passion with them. We saw a beautiful Scarlet Tanager with a bit of yellow/green still on it.

We finally heard a Canada Warbler but did not find it in the tangle of leaves and branches. We spent a bit of time in areas that Wilson’s Warblers were being heard and seen but we could not hear the song or see one. At noon we took them back to the cottage so they could head home and we had some lunch and a short rest and then headed back in for another walk around Tilden. It was still quite birdy and while I was looking at an area I sensed movement beside me and saw an American Woodcock beside me that had walked across the path and then went into the forest leaves. So wonderful to have that experience. It was 6 inches from my foot.

We saw another Red-headed Woodpecker and watched that for awhile. We have seen one almost every day. We talked about going to Hillman Marsh and then back into the park to try for Whip-poor-wills but both of us were tired and just needed a bit of a break from it all. There are clearly birds in the park and we can bird tomorrow and hopefully catch up with a few of the species we are still missing.

May 14

Oh it was a very good day! The trickle of birds everyday and some substantial input through the night made birding very enjoyable with multiples of most warbler species finally seen. I decided to try for the 100 species in a day again. We opted not to go to the tip but started at the top of the park. Then a report came from Hillman that a Willet and a Wilson’s Phalarope were being seen so we opted to drive over and at least get those two rarities that would also be year birds for us. When we arrived people were searching for the Phalarope but the Willet was easy to see. We scoped for a while and then opted to head back to the park. We passed Jean on the way in and just as we were driving out Jean called to say the Phalarope had just been found so we did a u-turn and retraced our steps to find a distant but nice Wilson’s Phalarope. I got Jean her Prairie Warbler and she repaid with this bird. That is the birding karma I talk about in action.

We returned to the park and continued birding down the west and east sides of the park managing to add a few birds and getting nice views of others we have seen. I have not been carrying my camera for a week now and instead am taking all the video you see on my Iphone 16 Pro. I am quite pleased with it and while the birds have to be really close the quality seems to be better than my camera was. At least for showing it on a blog like this.

We finally tracked down a Green Heron at DeLaurier and as always Jerry took some very nice pictures of it.

We also heard the Wilson’s Warbler a few times but did not get eyes on the bird. I imagine we will see it at some point. And we also added a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher to the Ontario list.

When we had exhausted the Pelee Park trails and we were also exhausted we headed out of the park to get some well deserved Mexican food. I managed a picture of the guacamole at Salsa Caliente but can you believe that I forgot to take a picture of my yummy enchiladas? How does this happen? I have birder brain and hunger takes over LOL. Anyway, trust me when I say it looked and tasted delicious! While waiting for our food I put together a trip report from the day so I could see what my species count was. I had seen 90 species at that point.

After dinner we headed to Kopegaron Woods because I thought I had a good chance to add a few birds there that I did not get in the park. Sure enough there were Swainson’s Thrush and then a Rock Pigeon from the farms outside the woods. A bit further along the boardwalk we saw a Hairy Woodpecker. Now I was at 93. A few minutes later Merlin suggested it had heard a Rusty Blackbird. We had not added this bird for the year yet so we retraced our steps and actively checked every blackbird we were seeing. Jerry spotted something a bit different and we both got on it with bins. I confirmed it had a yellow eye and we had our Rusty. #94. It took a bit to get a picture as it was back in tangles but Jerry managed a record shot.

When we reached the end of the loop I opted to start walking the loop again just to see if the Prothonotary had appeared. I had missed seeing it in the Park and it would be a nice bird to add for the 100. As I started down the boardwalk I saw a couple with cameras raised and as I got close they showed me an Eastern Screech Owl sitting in its hole sunning. #95 as the one in the Park had not been visible.

I was getting excited. We still had to go back to Hillman and we planned to walk the Couture Dyke at dusk for rails so I was getting more confident by the minute that I would hit the 100. Jerry took some owl pics, we checked further along the boardwalk but no Prothonotary and so we headed out of the woods to find a group at the entrance with bins and cameras raised – a Golden-winged Warbler! #96 and still two places to visit.

When we arrived at Hillman there were plenty of birds in the marsh and we started scoping right away. I knew I had missed Green-winged Teal earlier so I quickly found those for #97 and then a Greater Yellowlegs for #98. Merlin suggested a Black-bellied Plover had called but we could not find any as we scoped. I found two Ruddy Turnstones for #99. We took turns scanning and suddenly Jerry said he had a Semi-palmated Plover! He tried to get it in the scope and after a few minutes he had it #100 for the day! Woohoo! And it was a year bird for us too. We then added two more species for 102 and one more stop.

Couture Dyke is a walk around a huge marsh land that we visited last year. It is a good place to listen for rails. We ended up hearing Least Bittern, perhaps the one from last week at the tip and a Virginia Rail. While these were not birds we needed to add to our Ontario List they did get added to our day list along with an Osprey and a Field Sparrow giving us a total for the day of 106 species seen! I was more than happy with that and while I was tired I was not exhausted the way I usually am after these 100 day adventures.

May 15

With the ups and downs of this migration it was no surprise to once again have a quiet tip with only a few migrants. We did manage to see a possible Acadian Flycatcher. Flycatchers can be a challenge to ID and so we will wait to hear what others think of the photos taken. It is easiest to identify them when they are singing as their songs are all unique but many look very similar and that causes difficulty in the field with different lighting, distance etc.

With it being our last full day in the park we were not too worried about trying to find the few birds we have not seen this migration. Those left we know we can see elsewhere in the province if we want to do that. Instead we met up with Judy and Cindy and spent a delightful few hours walking the trail chatting, laughing and occasionally birding. There were still birds in the park but the warblers were up high in the trees and so there was little incentive for us to crane our necks to see warblers that yesterday had been seen beautifully at eye level.

Just after noon we decided to leave the park and headed over to Hillman to see a White-faced Ibis that was being seen. As we walked down the path a couple leaving told us that the birds had all flushed, including the Ibis. Oh no! but we continued on and when we arrived at the water the Ibis was just flying back in and landed quite close to us.

We helped a few people see shorebirds in the scope and then opted to call it a day. We had dishes to clean and things to pack at the cottage. We had a nice meal at Freddy’s and spent the evening relaxing. Usually, on our way home we stop at Rondeau but we are going to go to the Tip in the morning to just see if this heavy migration that is forecast actually happens here.

May 16

Well there was migration in the night but the majority of the birds missed the tip and landed further up in the park. We checked out the tip and as it was quiet and rain was forecast we opted to say our goodbyes to the regulars Keith, Jeremy, Cindy and Judy and head for home. We arrived home before noon and the news from Pelee was of a Kirtland’s Warbler that Keith found around 10am. Oh well, that is the way it goes, you get some, you miss some. We were happy to be home after 2 weeks of continual birding. Pelee is always great no matter when you go or how long you stay. While we felt the quantity of birds was less, the quality of our interactions was fantastic this year. We had so many wonderful, up close interactions with these jewels that briefly stop in our area.

We spent 1 day at Rondeau, 13 at Pelee. We went to the tip 11 mornings and walked a total of 167km over the 14 days. The day I got the 100 species we walked 16.6km. The cottage we rent cost $2,200 for the two weeks and our meals out cost around $400 plus gas there and back. We used electric every day in the park. We added 90 birds to the Ontario Bird list for the year and 58 to the Year List of Birds. So at the end of this trip we had seen 223 in Ontario this year and 582 birds seen for the World List this year.

The numbers of birders choosing to go to Pelee has dropped over the last few years with many suggesting it is too packed with crowds but the Park is very large and while there are crowds around the celebrity rarities for a short time most of your time at Pelee can be completely alone on the trails. For those that like to socialize and meet friends you can hang around the more popular trails but there are countless opportunities to be alone too. Hopefully this blog gives you a little taste of what awaits at Pelee. It is a very special place…until next time…

Week 20 Pelee second week

by Ellen Horak | May 17, 2025 | Canada 400

The days start to become a blur. It is a bit like the movie Groundhog Day, same thing repeated over and over – wake up way too early, head to the tip, disperse through the park, chase a few sightings, walk, scan, listen, walk, scan, listen, arrive back home just before dark tired and hungry, have to get food, blog, emails, photos done, fall into bed before 10 and repeat. Maybe that sounds like I am complaining and not having much fun but the reality is we love every minute of it! Amongst all that repetition are lots of conversations, laughter, anticipation, elation over seeing beautiful birds, witnessing unique bird behaviour, and walking through the gorgeous green of Pelee. It has been a fantastic two weeks and while you can see these birds all across southern Ontario as well, the magic of Pelee cannot be replicated.

Monday we had a stellar day and added six new species to the list! We heard and saw a Red-eyed Vireo in the morning. A Red Knot was found out on a sand spit outside the park. The picture is truly bad just because of the distance we had to view from. A scope view was better but only marginally. Just before our afternoon hike started we found and reported an Orange-crowned Warbler at the hike meet-up and minutes later a report of a Canada Warbler came in. It was being seen at the end of the parking lot so we rushed over and saw it quickly before heading back for our hike. We were happy to get our group of 12 on a number of warblers and other migrants. After the hike I was on desk duty in the visitor centre to answer any questions visitors have about birding. When I finished at 5 we headed back out to the Northwest beach area and added a Golden-winged Warbler that had been reported a bit earlier. After that we heard about a Black-billed Cuckoo further on the path so we continued on and ended up seeing two Black-billed Cuckoos.

Tuesday morning it was raining as we made our way to the tip and just as we arrived it started to pour. We took shelter with all the other birders under the pavilion and then decided to head back down to the visitor centre where we took refuge inside hoping to wait out the storm. It didn’t stop and we finally declared a “cottage day” and headed out of the park. We made a quick stop at a flooded field just outside the park and scoped from inside the car to see Semipalmated Plovers to add another species. We worked on photos and the blog, had some tea and pastries and finally around 11 the rain slowed and we decided to head back out. We were driving some of the fields when a report of Whimbrels at Wheatley Harbour came in but by the time we got there they had flown off. We have plans to attend the Whimbrel Watch in Toronto at the end of May but if we get them now it is one less thing to do. A report from Keiran of Hooded Warbler guided us to Kopengaron Conservation Area where we heard it singing as soon as we got out of the car and then Jerry saw it in the undergrowth and I got on it as well. He managed a few pics and then it disappeared, as warblers do. We then headed back to Wheatley Harbour because an Iceland Gull was found by Kiah and this was a winter bird we had missed. It is an expected species in Ontario but more often in the winter months so it was nice to finally track one down.

Wednesday was a lovely day weather wise and we finally shed our long underwear and extra layers and by afternoon were birding without jackets. The tip was quiet but there were lots of birds in the park. We walked up the West Beach path as it is prime time for Kirtland’s Warbler and that is a known area for them. If you recall last year we walked that path almost every day and this year has been no exception.There were many warblers in the junipers and they took time to ID as you would only get bits of their bodies showing. It is an exercise in knowing undertails of birds, side views and heads to figure out what you are seeing. We were both looking at the same area of undergrowth with logs and brambles and suddenly Jerry said “Mourning Warbler”. I saw a Gray Catbird and a Common Yellowthroat but no Mourning Warbler. He gave me some directions, I looked, and nothing! How do these warblers disappear so quickly? After a few minutes we gave up and left the park to meet up with our friends Dave and Julia, as they were passing by, and enjoyed a few hours catching up with them. I was ok with Jerry getting Mourning Warbler before me because I had Eastern-whip-poor-will and he did not and I also knew that I could get Mourning Warbler in many places on breeding grounds. The afternoon was quite hot but we still managed to find two new species, Philadelphia Vireo and Gray-cheeked Thrush. We went to the Marsh at dusk to try and see Common Nighthawks but none appeared in that area. We will see that species throughout our travels but I am trying to get what I can off the list now.

Thursday was another lovely morning and there was finally a bit of a reverse migration off the tip. This phenomenon happens with south winds where birds seem to backtrack and then come back north again and then often repeat this over and over. We had Eurasian Collared Dove reverse over and over and land in a tree for many to see. We already saw this bird in BC where they are more plentiful but it was a good Ontario bird to add. Pelicans also arrived and there were a number of shorebirds. We spent some time chatting with Noah, Logan, Tanner and their family about the 100 species challenge. These young birders are keen to get their 100 pins and see and learn all they can. It is wonderful to see kids starting so young and absorbing so much knowledge. Heading up from the tip we once again did the West Beach path and arrived at the 1/2 way tram stop right when a Yellow-billed Cuckoo had been found. It was low and in the open so we had great looks at this unique bird that I think few people realize live in our forests.

The birding was shaping up to be one of those “100 species” day. I already had 45 on my list just at the tip so I thought I might try for a 100 in a day. After the park I was at 85 and headed to Hillman where I added 14 more putting me at 99. We then headed to Wheatley Harbour thinking about those Whimbrels. When we arrived there were many shorebirds on the beach and we quickly saw 2 Willets to make the 100 for the day. They were quickly flushed by a couple walking the beach. We waited a bit hoping they would return and then suddenly 12 Whimbrel arrived and the 2 Willets landed as well. A fantastic ending to a great day! Over 100 species and added 2 more species.

Friday was our last day at the tip and in the park as we planned to head home and stop at Rondeau on the way. The tip was again very quiet and yet migration had happened as there were many new birds in the park. We decided to not do the west beach path but head back to the Visitors Centre and do a loop of Tilden as we were leading an afternoon hike. Just inside Tilden’s we met up with Garth, Nancy and Barbara who had just seen a Common Nighthawk roosting. We had tried for this bird a couple of evenings so it was very nice to get a roosting one to add to the list. Part way through Tilden’s I got a report that a Worm-eating Warbler had just been seen back down the path a bit. It was not a “known” birder but it is always worth checking these reports out. We headed back down and it was being heard! Singing! Within minutes someone was on the bird, I saw it in the undergrowth and dead leaves, Jerry got on it and took pictures and then the hordes of birders descended. Worm-eating Warbler brings everybody out, it is that rare.

Then a Kentucky Warbler, also rare, started singing in the very same place! We already had Kentucky at the end of April but it was nice to get it again. The crowd continued to build and after a bit we left to give others space to hopefully see the bird. This Warbler does not breed in Ontario so they arrive because they have overshot their breeding grounds in the Mid-eastern States. It is also a warbler that spends a lot of time on the ground, under vegetation hunting for worms so it is usually difficult to find and see. It was one of the birds we missed last year.

Worm-eating Warbler (the highlight of Pelee)

By lunch time the temperature was 28C but we were leading the afternoon hike. Our strategy was to move from shady spot to shady spot and bird at each one and it seemed to pay off as we managed to get onto a number of interesting birds. I have really enjoyed leading the hikes and while I am not the most knowledgable of the guides I know I am enthusiastic and I try to impart some of the knowledge I do have to the newer birders.

Saturday we stopped at Rondeau on the way home for a few quick walks into areas we know often have flycatchers, which are the next species we need to finish on our Common Species List. We quickly found a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in the very same area we had one last year, but the Acadian Flycatcher we were also hoping to find, eluded us.

To end the week I’ll share a couple of videos from Pelee. The warblers are tough to video as they move so fast but the Baltimore Orioles are a bit easier. We found this little Yellow Warbler working on her nest right beside the trail.

I’m closing week 20 off a day early to keep the Pelee weeks together. The two weeks at Pelee netted us 44 more species. I now only have 4 more #1 ranked Common Species to add and 13 of the #2 ranked birds in Ontario. For the moment we are equal in number of species but each of us have a bird the other does not have. We have two weeks left in Ontario to wrap up these last species and then we head west!

Week 20 16 new species added J&E 297 species seen