The village of Port Stanley, Ontario located on the north shore of Lake Erie has always held a special place in my heart. As a kid, I spent many weekends there fishing, waterskiing, celebrating holidays, and exploring nature with my Dad. As an adult, I find myself returning to the port often to enjoy the incredible birding opportunities I discovered at such a young age.
Regardless of the season, there is always a multitude of birds to be seen across the various habitats encompassing the village. September and October are two of my favourite months to visit because not only is fall migration in full swing, the post-Labour Day crowds are much smaller and it often feels like I have the entire village to myself.
On a recent trip, I birded at three of my favourite locations around the village and was rewarded with some nice views of several species. I started my day at the pier and main beach area on the west side of Kettle Creek. With fog still in the air, I saw a large group of Turkey Vultures feeding on a dead Ring-billed Gull in the municipal parking lot. While it didn’t provide the most appetizing view it did remind me of the importance of these large scavengers to our ecosystem. By consuming carcasses that would otherwise be left to decompose, vultures are extremely beneficial in preventing the spread of disease. For this reason, I have always had a fascination and special appreciation for these birds.
After leaving the beach area I made my way to Hawk Cliff. As the name suggests, this is a great location to observe migrating birds of prey. It is not uncommon to see hundreds even thousands of raptors on a given day. On this day as the wind picked up from the northwest and the fog cleared a decent flight was seen. Broad-winged and Sharp-shinned Hawks were the most abundant with American Kestrels also being observed in good numbers.
Along the roadway and within Hawk Cliff Woods many songbirds were observed. On this visit, I enjoyed great views of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds as they perched in the sumacs while taking a break from feeding on the plenitude of jewelweed lining the road. Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, various warblers, and Carolina Wrens were all seen and heard to name a few. Large flocks of blue jays totaling hundreds of birds were also observed overhead as they too were migrating.
Hawk Cliff is also a great location to observe Monarch Butterflies as they migrate along the shoreline. Several Monarchs were observed stopping briefly to nectar on the New England Aster and Goldenrod as they too were taking advantage of the northwest wind.
For me, no visit to Port Stanley is complete without a stop at the sewage lagoons. Located on Scotch Line there is always something to see from the two viewing stands overlooking the four cells. Water levels varied by cell with Wood Ducks, Northern Shovellers, and Canada Geese observed in the deepest and Lesser Yellowlegs being observed along the muddy edges of the shallowest.
On top of great birding, the village is filled with unique shops and restaurants that add to any visit. Mackies on the main beach has some of the best fries around and the pralines and cream in a waffle cone from Brodericks’ Ice Cream Parlour on Bridge Street is absolutely delicious. Great birding opportunities exist throughout the fall and into the winter months. I enjoy birding here regardless of the season due to the variety of species present throughout the year. If you’ve never birded in the village of Port Stanley, I highly recommend planning a trip in the near future.
Good birding,
Paul
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