My Three Days of Leading Bird Hikes for the Festival of Birds in Point Pelee National Park

Common Yellowthroat (male). Photo by Marianne Balkwill

I lead three days of birding hikes for the Friends of Point Pelee this May. This year it was the 11th, 12th, 13th, along with a Twilight Hike on the 14th.

The 11th was pretty dismal. All day it rained. Jeremy and I both led hikes. This was Jeremy's first day ever leading a group! He was nervous but I knew, even through the pouring rain, he would have no problems. In the morning the group walked the Tilden Woods Trail. Through the rain we viewed a few birds, but the hike turned into more of a natural history hike than a "birding hike". Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and a male Common Yellowthroat were the only warblers we located. Luckily, Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles were still showing off. There were 3 great spots to stop along the trail as well: A Blue-grey Gnatcatcher nest, a female Wild Turkey on eggs, and a Common Nighthawk conspicuous on a branch. It is amazing that even though we are birding out in the rain people's spirits are still very high...even my own! The other hike started at 1:00pm. This hike ended early due to thunderstorms. Rats.

May 12th was simply amazing! We led two hikes. In the morning we had 3 groups go out and in the afternoon we had two groups. In the morning we went to the Tip, in the afternoon into Tilden Woods Trail. Here is a summary of both:

Morning: Tip Trail

Mourning Dove

Willow Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

White-eyed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Blue Jay

Carolina Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing

Tennessee Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Ovenbird

Mourning Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Lincoln's Sparrow

Clay-coloured Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow
Double-crested Cormorant

Baltimore Oriole

Orchard Oriole

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Ring-billed Gull

*It was so good within the trails near the tip, we actually never made it to the very tip!

Afternoon: Tilden Woods Trail

Yellow Warbler (including one building a nest)

Baltimore Oriole

Orchard Oriole

Brown-headed Cowbird

Rusty Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (including one on nest)

Wild Turkey (on nest)

Eastern Kingbird

Least Flycatcher

Black-billed Cuckoo

Summer Tanger (male)

Scarlet Tanager (male)

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-and-White Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Blackburnian Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

American Redstart

Magnolia Warbler

Northern Parula

Ovenbird

Swainson's Thrush
Veery

Wood Thrush

Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker
Grey Catbird

Blue Jay

Mallard

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

May 13th didn't go to plan. Jeremy and I were scheduled to lead our last morning hike together, but thunderstorms told us otherwise. The afternoon hike only had enough for one leader, so I left for the day.

May 14th I celebrated my birthday with working at the winery (yeah?) followed by a Twilight Hike (yeah!). My Mom happened to stop by to give me a birthday card, and then everyone in my group HAD to sing me "Happy Birthday"...lol.

The evening hike was quite productive around the parking lot, but not so much along the DeLaurier Trail itself. There were a lot of swallows flying around so we did some swallow ID (Purple Martin vs. Barn Swallow vs. Bank Swallow) and we saw quite a few species of warbler including tons of Yellow Warblers, Nashville Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler. A nice surprise to the group was an Eastern Bluebird right near the Delaurier homestead. Of course, the American Woodcock displayed right on schedule. I always get a thrill out of the American Woodcocks, and so did everyone else in the group.

All in all a shorter experience leading hikes this year than last. Perhaps next year I will be able to do more hikes, or maybe lead my own? We shall see.