May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year

Each year, waves of birds pass through Southwestern Ontario in early May. Like most other birders, this is my favourite time of year, and I book vacation accordingly during the first two weeks of the month. I try to get out birding every day visiting many of my favorite areas. Some of these locations are a 2-hour drive away while others are mere minutes from home. As is the case every year, May has been quite productive thus far with a variety of species observed and photographed.

IMG 9112 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **This Spotted Sandpiper was the only shorebird found at the tip of Point Pelee.**

Last Monday, I made the drive west to Point Pelee National Park. Arriving at the park shortly after 9 a.m. I found a parking spot at the visitor centre and from there it was a short shuttle ride to the tip to begin my day of birding. At the tip, Baltimore Orioles were seen reverse migrating as they headed south out over Lake Erie. Horned Grebes were observed to the west while a mix of warblers foraged high in the treetops on the east side as the morning sun had the insects and thus the birds quite active.

IMG 9330 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **The Woodland Nature Trail at Point Pelee National Park revealed great views of this Blue-winged Warbler.**

Once finished at the tip, I was back on the shuttle heading north to complete a loop of the Woodland Nature Trail. Parts of this trail were quite wet and a small section was underwater. Despite this, I was able to cover most of the trail and was treated to some great views with the highlight being a Blue-winged Warbler feeding low to the ground.

IMG 9407 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **With the help of other birders, I was able to locate this red morph Eastern Screech-Owl camouflaged among the leaves and branches.**

Having completed the Woodland Nature Trail, I went back to the car to re-hydrate and have a quick sandwich before heading to the Tilden Woods Trail. While having my lunch, I overheard a woman talking about a red morph Eastern Screech-Owl on Tilden. Locating these small owls in a forest is like finding a needle in a haystack, but I figured there would be several people gathered in the vicinity of this bird. Sure enough, shortly into the trail was a congregation of owl seekers. Thanks to other birders describing where to look among the maze of branches, I was able to locate the owl. After adjusting my camera settings I managed to obtain focus through the leaves and limbs and capture several images. As an added bonus, this owl had its eyes open and was staring at the gaggle of birders admiring its beauty.

IMG 9588 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **The habitat along the West Beach Trail is perfect for attracting Indigo Buntings.**

To wrap up the day I walked the trail along West Beach. Warblers, thrushes, and a kingbird were noted, but I was most excited about the stunning male Indigo Bunting perched beautifully in the sun. In total, I observed 61 species under sunny skies. A great day birding for sure and quite typical for the first week of May at Pelee.

IMG 9859 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Palm Warblers are regularly found foraging on the forest floor.**

Tuesday morning I awoke to rain. This didn’t dampen my spirits as I had an appointment with my physiotherapist scheduled and was hoping to head out birding in the afternoon after the showers quit. Birding after a rain is always productive especially in May when migrating songbirds actively feed after seeking shelter from the precipitation. By late afternoon the sun was out, so I headed to the Westminster Ponds ESA. For those of you who attended my How To Photograph Birds presentation last month I focussed my efforts in the area I shared with you. As expected, the birds were positioned out of the strong west wind actively feeding on insects that had emerged with the warming sun.

IMG 0281 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Blue-headed Vireo photographed at the Westminster Ponds ESA.**

In total 50 species were seen in only a few hours including 8 different warblers. Palm Warblers were the most abundant with Yellow-rumped a close second. Nashville, Yellow, Black-and-White, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, and American Redstart were the other warblers present. Happy with my observations, I returned to this same area Wednesday morning and was treated to much of the same with the addition of Black-throated Green Warblers.

IMG 0409 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Black-throated Blue Warblers were observed at all of the areas I birded this past week.**

After spending the morning birding, I headed home to prepare for my presentation that evening for the Woodstock Camera Club. What a fun night it was talking about bird photography with so many great people who share the same passion. The comradery of the group was evident as there were plenty of jokes and laughter which only added to the enjoyment of the evening. Thanks again to Kim and Linda for inviting me to speak.

IMG 0627 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Blackburian Warblers were one of the most prevalent birds on my visit to Rondeau Provincial Park.**

My best birding of the week was Friday at Rondeau Provincial Park where I observed 79 species. Blackburnian and Cape May Warblers were seen throughout the park in large numbers and were two of the more prevalent birds. Eastern Towhee, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, and Northern Parula were also observed. With the strong west wind off Rondeau Bay, I concentrated my birding in the centre and east side of the park. The most productive areas were Warbler’s Way (formerly known as the Maintenance Loop), Harrison Trail, and Tulip Tree Trail.

IMG 1001 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **The vibrant red plumage of the male Scarlet Tanager is something I look forward to seeing each May.**

Scarlet Tanagers were observed in good numbers at Rondeau. These vibrant red birds are simply stunning and always a treat to see. The strong winds and lack of leaf cover in the forest canopy kept most of the birds low to the ground making for optimal views and photos. It was a cool, cloudy day for the most part but when the sun did peek out and the temperature rose a few degrees, the birds became even more active.

IMG 0770 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Northern Parula photographed at Rondeau Provincial Park.**

With the amount of rain we received this past week, all of the areas I birded were wet and muddy. I recommend wearing rubber boots if you plan on visiting any of the aforementioned locations. I’ve never considered rubber boots to be the most comfortable footwear, but knowing the amount of rain forecast and expecting messy conditions, I went out and bought a new pair. Fully expecting sore feet, sore legs, and a sore back I was surprised at how comfortable these boots are. Purchased on sale for $30 at my local TSC Store, I am very happy with these Oxgear boots. If you are looking for a pair of rubber boots, these are definitely worth checking out.

IMG 1312 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Large numbers of White-crowned Sparrows were observed this past week.**

Along with plenty of warblers, large quantities of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, and White-crowned Sparrows were observed in all areas I visited this past week. We can expect another big wave of birds in the coming weeks, so if you haven’t had an opportunity to get out birding there is still lots of time. In town, the leaves are emerging fast which makes locating and photographing birds a challenge; however, closer to Lake Erie where temperatures are a few degrees cooler, the leaves are significantly behind offering better views and photo opportunities.

IMG 9372 Edit Edit - May Offers Some Of The Best Birding Of The Year — **Blue-winged Warbler**

With another week of vacation to go, I am looking forward to more birding. Given the day I had at Rondeau, I plan on getting down there again this week but will also do more birding here in London as well. The warmer temperatures predicted mid-week will make for comfortable conditions and active birds. An abundance of birds in the area and more on the way mean it’s the perfect time to get out birding. If you have some time this week, head out to your favourite spot and reap the benefits of May birding.

Good birding,
Paul

Subscribe To My Blog

Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers

Tuesday, September 11, 2018, was a day I circled on my calendar. Not for the obvious reason this date signifies, but because after several days of rain, cool temperatures, and strong east winds this was the day the sky was predicted to clear and winds were to be lighter out of the northwest. What did this mean and why did I care? Well, if the weather held true the nearly 8,000 Monarch Butterflies mentioned in my last post Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee were destined to depart Point Pelee National Park and continue their journey south under these ideal migrating conditions.

IMG 9660 - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Monarch Butterflies warming their wings in the morning sun.**

The inclement weather brought in by the remnants of hurricane Gordon stalled this huge group of migrating Monarchs for three days, and I knew when the weather finally broke these butterflies were going in exit in epic proportions. Taking my chances on the weather forecast I left London shortly after 4 a.m. so I would be at Point Pelee National Park when it opened at 7 a.m.

IMG 9397 Edit Edit - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Large roosts from the previous night could be seen high in the treetops. Once the sky cleared and the temperature rose, thousands of Monarchs took flight.**

Arriving early, I was the first car at the gate. I exited my vehicle and did some stretching while I waited for park staff to arrive and unlock the gate. I was meeting my friend Darlene, the park’s official Monarch counter, at the gate and after gaining access to the park our plan was to walk from the visitor centre to the tip where the large roosts had gathered. Why walk? Because the first shuttle to the tip isn’t until 8 a.m. and we knew these Monarchs would not wait long once the sun got higher in the sky and the temperature rose. Looking up into the treetops as we made our way to the tip we could see several large roosts of Monarch Butterflies.

IMG 9560 Edit - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Monarchs gathered on the east side of the tip taking advantage of the warm morning sun.**

By 7:30 a.m. we were on the tip ready and waiting for the Monarchs to become active. Unfortunately, there was still a significant amount of cloud cover and it was a bit cool. Looking at the sky there was one small hole in the clouds that could potentially present a window for the butterflies to leave but it was a narrow one. Clear skies could be seen to the west, but with the clouds moving slow, it looked like it would be several hours before the skies cleared completely.

IMG 9646 - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **As the sky cleared and the temperature rose the Monarchs became active.**

With the sun slowly emerging Monarchs became active fluttering high in the treetops. One by one a few Monarchs left the tip riding the wind to where the sand and water meet. With conditions still not perfect, many of the butterflies flew back to the trees. What was amazing to see was the Monarchs formerly roosting on the west side of the tip to avoid the strong winds from the previous day were now relocating to the east side to take advantage of the warm morning sun. As the sky cleared, the patient Monarchs soaked up the sun with outstretched wings.

IMG 0430 2 - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Monarch Butterfly in flight off the tip of Point Pelee.**

With the sky now totally clear and a northwest wind, Monarchs began leaving the tip 5 and 6 at a time. Standing in the sand I watched as a constant wave of butterflies passed by overhead and at eye level. It did not take long for the mass exodus to happen and those arriving at the park late missed the entire spectacle. By mid-morning, almost all of the Monarchs were gone. In fact, I overheard many park visitors remark “where are all the Monarchs”?

IMG 9713 Edit Edit - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Several Monarchs were observed puddling on the beach before crossing Lake Erie.**

As the day progressed, more Monarchs made their way through the park taking advantage of the northwest wind. Most were observed high overhead clearly migrating. By mid-afternoon, a few Monarchs were observed down low nectaring on both goldenrod and woodland sunflowers but it was evident most had left the park.

IMG 9567 Edit - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Grapevine and other vegetation provided the perfect staging area for Monarchs to wait for the cloud cover to pass.**

Since September 11, evening roosts of Monarch Butterflies at Point Pelee National Park have been substantially smaller. Will we see more large roosts of Monarch Butterflies filling the trees at Point Pelee National Park again this year? Only time will tell. It is not uncommon to see Monarch caterpillars on Milkweed plants in mid-September in Southwestern Ontario. Once these large caterpillars form a chrysalis it takes two weeks for them to emerge as butterflies so another large wave of Monarchs could happen. In fact, the largest roost of Monarchs reported from Point Pelee last year wasn’t until October 14.

Watch this video on YouTube

If you missed out on these large roosts and are hoping for another wave of Monarchs to gather within the park, follow Pelee Paradise Sanctuary Monarch Waystation 10275 on Facebook for daily counts.

IMG 9682 Edit Edit 2 - Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers — **Monarch Butterfly.**

Witnessing this incredible migration of the Monarch Butterfly was one of the greatest things I have observed in nature. If you have never experienced this yourself, I highly recommend following the daily reports closely and plan your visit to Point Pelee National Park accordingly.

Good birding,
Paul

*My 2019 calendars have arrived and are now available for purchase. For more information including the images featured and how to purchase, please follow the link provided.*

Subscribe To My Blog

Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee

During the month of September, I try to make a trip to Point Pelee National Park to observe the annual fall migration of the Monarch Butterfly. I usually schedule my visit for the 3rd week of the month as this is typically when Monarchs move through the area in good numbers. This also coincides with my birthday and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than at this beautiful park.

IMG 9369 Edit Edit - Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee — **The sight of a Monarch roost is quite spectacular. Watching these delicate butterflies stack together like shingles on a roof is truly magical.**

In 2015 my timing was pretty good as I was treated to large quantities of Monarchs during the day throughout the park and evening roosts were estimated to contain over 1000 Monarchs.

0 - Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee

Watch this video on YouTube

Last year, my timing was not so good, as I only observed one Monarch all day, a lone butterfly seen just off the tip heading south. Monarch migration seemed to take place a bit later last year as numbers peaked in early October.

This year I had planned once again to visit the third week of September and hoped the Monarchs would cooperate. This plan quickly changed Saturday morning.

IMG 9250 Edit Edit - Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee — **With so many Monarchs congregating around the tip roosts were easy to find.**

After working for a few hours Saturday morning, I took a break and checked social media. I do this each morning to see what interesting things are happening in terms of birding and nature. After reading a report of a conservative estimate of 10,000 Monarchs roosting the previous night at the tip of Point Pelee I quickly messaged my partners in “Team Monarch” who I spent several seasons raising Monarchs with to see if they had heard the news. It did not take long before a trip to Point Pelee National Park for later that day was organized.

IMG 9322 Edit Edit - Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee — **Monarch Butterflies roosting.**

The three of us left for the park at 4:00 p.m. which would give us roughly 2 hours before dark to observe these impressive roosts. Once at the park, we jumped on the shuttle at the Visitor’s Centre and headed for the tip.

Watch this video on YouTube

The wind at the park was strong out of the northeast, so we focussed our efforts on the west side of the tip where the Monarchs would be somewhat protected from the strong winds. Looking up into the trees we were treated to thousands of Monarch Butterflies huddled together, by far the biggest roosts I have ever witnessed. It’s hard to find a word to describe this experience but magical definitely comes to mind.

Roosts were estimated at 6000 Monarchs, a bit lower than the previous night. It was believed that some of the butterflies may have moved north away from the tip to escape the strong wind and were somewhere out of sight.

P1010748 Edit - Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee — **Watching this sunset from the West Beach was the perfect ending to an amazing day.**

Leaving the park we could see the colourful sky through the trees to the west. We pulled into the West Beach Parking lot and walked out on the sand. I’m really glad we did as we were treated to one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen. This was the perfect way to end an incredible day.

Watch this video on YouTube

Over the coming days, we are expected to receive the remnants of hurricane Gordon. Cooler temperatures and substantial rain will likely mean this large concentration of Monarchs will remain in the park until the weather breaks. When it does, look for these Monarchs to leave the tip heading south continuing their journey to Mexico. With sunny skies and a northwest wind predicted for Tuesday, a mass departure could happen.

IMG 9237 Edit Edit - Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee — **With large numbers of Monarch Butterflies being observed at Point Pelee National Park, now is the perfect time to plan a trip.**

If you are wanting to experience this amazing migration now may be your best chance. For updates on Monarch numbers within the park follow Pelee Paradise Sanctuary Monarch Waystation #10275 on Facebook for up to date reports.

Good birding,
Paul

Subscribe To My Blog

A Fantastic Day Birding During The
2015 Festival Of Birds

Watermark - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — Yellow Warblers were among the 57 species of birds that I observed while birding in Point Pelee National Park.

This past week I packed up my camera and binoculars and headed to Point Pelee National Park in Leamington, Ontario for the 2015 Festival of Birds. Point Pelee National Park is located on an 8.5km peninsula of land extending into Lake Erie, and is the southernmost point of mainland Canada. Each spring thousands of birds stop over in the park to rest and feed after crossing the lake during their migration north. Deemed the warbler capital of Canada, Point Pelee National Park is a birder’s paradise. The mixed habitat within the park attracts more than just warblers, with 365 species reported to Ebird.

Watermark1 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — Eastern Kingbirds could be observed throughout the park in the vegetation emerging from the dunes.

I arrived at the park mid-morning and upon rolling my window down to pay the very modest $7.60 adult entrance fee, I could immediately hear the calls of both Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Orioles. Continuing into the park, the songs and calls of various birds filled the air. Red-winged Blackbirds, Warbling Vireos, and American Robins could all be seen and heard.

Watermark2 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — I observed 14 species of warbler, including this Palm Warbler, while birding in Point Pelee National Park, also known as the warbler capital of Canada, during the 2015 Festival of Birds.

My late arrival to the park meant that the parking areas closest to the visitor centre were full, so park staff directed me to the closest available parking located at Black Willow Beach. From there, it was a short 1.5 km walk to the visitor centre where a shuttle ride to the tip is available. Grabbing my camera, binoculars, a few snacks and some water, I headed south down the wooded path paralleling the lake toward the visitor centre.

Watermark3 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — The mixed habitat throughout Point Pelee National Park attracts a variety of birds. In one of the swampy wooded areas is where I located this Solitary Sandpiper.

Immediately, I was treated to excellent views of Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers, and Eastern Kingbirds. In fact, you could hardly walk a few steps without encountering a Yellow Warbler or Baltimore Oriole. Hermit Thrushes and House Wrens could be seen flitting along near the ground. Scanning at eye level, more warblers came into view with Palm, Black-throated Blue, and Chestnut-sided all being recorded. Tree and Barn Swallows circled overhead as they followed the adjacent dune. I had a good feeling about the day as I had barely been in the park ten minutes and had already observed over a dozen species.

Watermark6 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — Black-throated Blue Warbler

After arriving at the visitor centre, I hopped on the shuttle and headed for the tip. A distance of only 2 kms, this stretch of park is very much walkable, but with so many trails yet to explore, I figured this was a good opportunity to rest my legs and rehydrate.

Watermark7 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — Chestnut-sided Warblers were abundant on the many trails within the park.

Getting off the shuttle at the tip exhibit area, I could see more Barn Swallows flying around the pavilion. A small crowd of birders had gathered to observe a Wilson’s Warbler as it moved about an Eastern Red Cedar tree. Scanning the tree with my binoculars, I quickly added this species to my daily total. My hike around the tip didn’t reveal as many species as I hoped, but I attributed this to my late arrival. From what I have heard, it is best to be at the tip at sunrise when birds that migrated the previous night are low down and in plain view as they recuperate from their long flight across Lake Erie. The tip was still rewarding as I added Red-breasted Mergansers, several gull species, and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird to my day’s list. While waiting for the shuttle to pick me up, I observed several of the previously observed Barn Swallows flying in and out of their nests underneath the pavilion at the tip exhibit; a promising sight given that these birds are a Species at Risk in Ontario. It was here too that I added an Orchard Oriole to my tally.

Watermark8 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — Barn Swallow perched under the pavilion at the tip exhibit.

Heading back north toward the visitor centre, I got off the shuttle at the end of the Woodland Nature Trail. It was here where even more species were observed. More warblers including, Bay-breasted, Magnolia, and Blackburnian, as well as several vireos with Red-eyed, Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, and Philadelphia all being recorded in a short section of the forest. Several sections of this trail contained wooded, swampy, habitat, perfect for the endangered Prothonotary Warbler, but unfortunately I was unable to locate one despite other birders reporting them from this area. This same habitat is preferred by other species too, and did reveal a Veery and Solitary Sandpiper. Continuing my way along the trail to the visitor centre more of the same species were observed.

Watermark5 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — This rufous morph Eastern Screech-Owl was one of my favourite birds observed at this year’s Festival of Birds.

Next, I wanted to check out the Tilden Woods Trail where a rufous morph Eastern Screech-Owl had been reported daily for over a week. The owl was visible from the main trail in a tree cavity, but without the help of fellow birders, would have gone unnoticed by many, myself included. It was great to see so many birders helping each other out so that everyone could see this incredible species. Further along the Tilden Woods Trail, I added two more warbler species to my count: Black-throated Green, and Blackpoll.

Watermark4 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — This male Orchard Oriole was observed behind the tip exhibit while I waited for the shuttle.

After exiting Tilden Woods Trail, I made my way back to the path I started on and headed for my truck. Arriving back at my truck I decided to head down to the beach so I could have my lunch and tally up my day’s total. Glancing out over Lake Erie I could see a large thunderstorm moving in. Heavy rain, 100 kph winds, hail, and even a tornado warning were now forecast, so I was glad my day at the park was coming to an end. In total, I observed 57 species, with four of them being lifers. Totally satisfied with my day birding, I packed my gear into my truck and headed for home. I barely made it past the park entrance when it began to pour rain.

Watermark9 - A Fantastic Day Birding During The <br> 2015 Festival Of Birds — This Veery was one of several species of thrush located on the Woodland Nature Trail.

If you have never been to Point Pelee National Park for the Festival of Birds, I highly recommend it. Birders and non birders alike will be impressed by all of the birds and the park’s beauty. This was my first visit, as I have been scared off in previous years by the crowds that this festival draws. Take my advice, do not let the crowds scare you. Plan your trip for through the week to avoid the busiest days, and take part in this incredible experience. I am planning on making this an annual trip and will definitely spend spend more than one day at the park each spring in hopes of seeing even more of the 365 species that have been recorded there.

Good birding,
Paul