Always An Adventure was hired by Road Scholar Canada / Routes to Learning to guide two back-to-back trips to Point Pelee for spring migration 2012.
Besides Point Pelee, Ontario’s Birding Hot Spot, we made stops at Long Point and Rondeau Provincial Parks. Each tour lasted 5 days and occurred during the peak of spring migration.
Here is the entry for trip #1. Total trip list contains both seen and heard.
TOUR I:
7-12 May 2012
The group came together at the Holiday Inn Select in Windsor. It was an enthusiastic bunch containing mostly guests from across the border, USA, but also a couple of Canadians.
The first full day of birding, we spent in the Long Point area. Highlights were Hooded Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler and Orchard Oriole.
At Rondeau, Nina Stavlund did a victory dance at the Visitors Center bird feeder when a Tufted Titmouse came in and became her only life bird of the trip. Other highlights of the day were Virginia Rail, Red-headed Woodpecker, Marsh Wren, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Black-throated Blue Warbler.
The next morning brought us to Comber and Stony Point. Here we had good looks at Indigo Bunting, Magnolia Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler. After checking into the hotel we went for a hike on the Point Pelee Marsh Boardwalk. Here we had Black Tern, Common Gallinule and a young male Orchard Oriole. We ended the afternoon at Hillman Marsh, where we had a Marbled Godwit.
We started early into Point Pelee where things were generally slow but steady. We had many cooperative song birds such as Blue-winged Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
The top highlights from Point Pelee included a female Prothonotary Warbler so oblivious of our presence, she gathered nest material right at our feet! In addition we had two White-eyed Vireos, one of them singing.
Our total trip-list came to 139 species of birds.
Trip-list:
ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Gadwall
Anas strepera
American Wigeon
Anas americana
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Blue-winged Teal
Anas discors
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae
Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
SULIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
ACCIPITRIFORMES: Cathartidae
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
ACCIPITRIFORMES: Pandionidae
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Northern Harrier
Circus cyaneus
Cooper’s Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae
Merlin
Falco columbarius
GRUIFORMES: Rallidae
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
Common Moorhen
Gallinula galeata
GRUIFORMES: Gruidae
Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensis
CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Marbled Godwit
Limosa fedoa
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Short-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus griseus
CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae
Bonaparte’s Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Forster’s Tern
Sterna forsteri
COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops asio
APODIFORMES: Apodidae
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
APODIFORMES: Trochilidae
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
PICIFORMES: Picidae
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
PASSERIFORMES: Tyrannidae
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
PASSERIFORMES: Vireonidae
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Yellow-throated Vireo
Vireo flavifrons
Blue-headed Vireo
Vireo solitarius
Warbling Vireo
Vireo gilvus
Red-eyed Vireo
Vireo olivaceus
PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Purple Martin
Progne subis
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
PASSERIFORMES: Paridae
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Boreal Chickadee
Poecile hudsonicus
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
PASSERIFORMES: Troglodytidae
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
PASSERIFORMES: Polioptilidae
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
PASSERIFORMES: Regulidae
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Swainson’s Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
PASSERIFORMES: Mimidae
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
PASSERIFORMES: Bombycillidae
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
PASSERIFORMES: Parulidae
Ovenbird
Seiurus aurocapilla
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora cyanoptera
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
Tennessee Warbler
Oreothlypis peregrina
Nashville Warbler
Oreothlypis ruficapilla
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Hooded Warbler
Setophaga citrina
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Cape May Warbler
Setophaga tigrina
Cerulean Warbler
Setophaga cerulea
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fusca
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Setophaga pensylvanica
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Setophaga caerulescens
Palm Warbler
Setophaga palmarum
Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Black-throated Green Warbler
Setophaga virens
Wilson’s Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
PASSERIFORMES: Cardinalidae
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
PASSERIFORMES: Icteridae
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae
House Finch
Carpodacus mexicanus
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
Ontario’s Birding Hot Spot: Point Pelee National Parkwas organized by
Road Scholar Canada
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“Always an Adventure with Tony and Nina”
Nina Stavlund
Nina is Norwegian, an extensive world traveller, and is now living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She's also a passionate birder and nature lover. She's a professional photographer, graduated from "Bilder Nordic School of Photography" in Oslo, Norway. Her award-winning work appears in many catalogues, magazines, postcards, websites, calendars and more. Nina, & her husband Tony Beck, offer local excursions, international tours and photographic services through their company "Always An Adventure Inc". Nina also conducts photography and photo editing courses.
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