Here in Ontario we are fortunate to have a magnitude of provincial parks many of which offer great birding opportunities. In Elgin county, only about a 30-minute drive from London, there is a small provincial park that over the past few years has quickly become one of my favourites. John E. Pearce Provincial Park located on Lakeview Line is a hidden gem when it comes to great areas for birding. Each time I have visited this park, I have been impressed with the assortment of birds observed within its 68 hectare area.
When I visit John E. Pearce Provincial Park there is one species in particular that I hope to observe, the Red-headed Woodpecker. Often confused with the much more common Red-bellied Woodpecker, the Red-headed Woodpecker is currently listed as special concern on Ontario’s species at risk list and populations seem to be limited to isolated areas throughout southern Ontario. Fortunately, John E. Pearce Provincial Park happens to be one of these isolated areas. In fact, I have yet to visit this small park without adding one of these beautiful woodpeckers to my daily list.
Early June is my favourite time to visit John E. Pearce Provincial Park. The birding at this time of year there is great, and I have always had rewarding days. This past week, I made the short drive down to the park for a day of birding with the hopes of observing a Red-headed Woodpecker. In a previous blog post, How To Prepare For The Image Of A Lifetime: A Step By Step Approach I talked about the importance of being ready when a shot presents itself. After arriving at the park mid-morning I was a bit hungry so decided eating an energy bar would be a good idea before getting started. Fortunately, I had already performed many of the preparation steps mentioned in that post because as I was standing beside my car enjoying the bar a Red-headed Woodpecker landed on a telephone pole at the end of the parking lot. With my camera at the ready, I was able to quickly raise it to my face and capture several images of the bird while clenching half the bar between my teeth. Though not the most orthodox style of shooting it does demonstrate the importance of having your camera and settings ready.
Having had an encounter with a Red-headed Woodpecker only minutes after arriving at the park, I knew that it was going to be a special day. In my previous visits to John E. Pearce Provincial Park, all of my Red-headed Woodpecker sightings have been within close proximity to the parking lot located next to the Backus-Page House Museum, so very little walking is required for anyone wishing to locate and photograph these birds. After circling the old barn located on the museum site, I noticed a second Red-headed Woodpecker in a large tree on the other end of the property. With two of these beautiful birds located in this small area, I spent much of my time here observing and photographing them.
Wanting to get a walk in, I decided to hike the 1.5 km Spicer Trail that runs through the Carolinian Forest. Several other bird species were observed including great views of a Brown Thrasher. House Wrens and Baltimore Orioles were also abundant. A nice variety of flycatchers were seen with Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, and Eastern Phoebe all being recorded. Yellow Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, and Chipping Sparrows rounded out the birds that were easily located.
As I walked through the forest, Eastern Chipmunks and White-tailed Deer could be seen on either side of the trail. At one point, I came across a doe with two young fawns. Watching these small deer was quite enjoyable and an added bonus to an already amazing day. Below is a short video I recorded of one of the fawns. For best quality, be sure to choose HD from the settings in the bottom right corner and make sure your speakers are on to hear the accompanying bird sounds.
A birding first came for me while visiting John E. Pearce Provincial Park. This did not come in the form of a new bird for my life list but rather I observed all seven woodpecker species found in our area at one location. Red-headed, Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Northern Flicker were all seen within the park and as someone who loves woodpeckers this was a pretty awesome experience.
John E. Pearce Provincial Park is a great destination for any birder and I cannot recommend it enough. On this day I had the park to myself and was treated to some amazing encounters with nature as I have on all my visits. There is no fee to enjoy the park and amenities including washrooms and picnic tables are available for park users. If you are looking for a new place for your next birding excursion, one that is home to an abundance of species including the uncommon Red-headed Woodpecker, give John E. Pearce Provincial Park a try, I think you will be glad you did.
Good birding,
Paul
A great blog! I will have to add this park to my list of birding locations. Thank-you for posting this. Another good place for spotting Red-headed Woodpeckers is the Pinery Provincial Park. I never fail to see one or more while kayaking the river or taking a leisurely walk along the Riverview Trail. Getting what I call a “great” picture can be difficult as they are usually high up in the trees but I never fail to see them. There was one time while kayaking I came across a nesting pair in a small tree along the river and get some pretty decent shots. I’ve also seen the less common but beautiful Pileated Woodpecker of course the common Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers. I don’t believe I’ve seen a Yellow Sapsucker (at least not yet). Thanks again! I alway enjoy your blog.
Thank you very much Mario. I am happy to hear you enjoy my blog. The Pinery is definitely another great place to observe Red-headed Woodpeckers. I agree, they are often tough to photograph due to their propensity to stay up high. Last year I was fortunate to have a Red-headed Woodpecker show up at my feeder here in London but it only stuck around for the day.
Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure Francine.
Awe….. what a perfect day!!!!
Thanks Joanne, it sure was.
love your photos and video in this blog Paul! I have yet to get a good photo of red headed woodpecker, and this park is not far from my home, so I think a trip there will be in the plans soon. I would love to get photos of deer too !
Thank you very much Christine. I am happy to hear you love the photos and video. John E. Pearce Provincial Park is definitely worth checking out as this is the park where I have had the best views of these beautiful woodpeckers.
Paul- were you out at the park early in the AM? just wondering about the deer photos/video- dawn or dusk for deer would be best?
Hi Christine, I was at the park from mid-morning to late afternoon and the deer were quite active the whole time. This fawn, its sibling, and mother were all photographed and videoed early to mid-afternoon.