In association with Birdseekers
CANADA &
POINT PELEE
Spring Migration Spectacular!
May 8 - 21, 2009

The northern shore of Lake Erie is home to some of the most famous and exciting migration watch points in North America. Imagine standing on the tip of Point Pelee as wave after wave of tiny passerines literally land at your feet! With over 30 species of brightly colored warblers to search for, as well as vireos, tanagers, flycatchers, thrushes, orioles and sparrows we literally won’t know where to look first! Long Point and Rondeau are also superb areas we will visit and here is where an astonishing variety of northbound migrants can be found. As a picturesque ending to this tour, we will spend the last three days in the wilderness of Algonquin Park, where the rugged scenery attracts such gems as Hooded Merganser, Ruffed and Spruce Grouse, Evening Grosbeak, Gray Jay, and Boreal Chickadee, as well as mammals such as Moose and Black Bear. Starting off beside the scenic splendor of Niagara Falls, this birding holiday is quite simply spectacular !  2008 Trip Report>>

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ITINERARY

Day 1:  Arrival Toronto
Our tour starts in Toronto in the early afternoon. We will then drive to our hotel by the spectacular Niagara Falls for our first night.

Days 2 - 3:   Niagara Falls/Long Point
We’ll spend the early morning around Niagara Falls, where apart from the stunning views we can see the huge Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged, Tree and Cliff Swallows, and Chimney Swift. Leaving the falls behind us we head west to Long Point, a superb watch point, which given the right weather conditions can play host to hundreds of north bound migrants. Lots of brightly colored warblers may include Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Magnolia, Blackpoll, Black-and-White, Yellow, Wilson’s, Palm, Bay-breasted and many more. Other species we will look out for include Brown Thrasher, Northern Oriole, Veery, Swainson’s Thrush, Ovenbird, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Gray Catbird. We will spend 2 nights nearby at Simcoe.

Days 4 - 10:  Long Point/Point Pelee National Park/ Rondeau Provincial Park
After spending the morning around Long Point we will then head to Leamington our gateway to mass migration. Here we spend the next 7 nights which gives us a fantastic opportunity to explore Point Pelee National Park which has gained a world wide reputation for being one of the best places to be during North American spring migration, and given the right weather conditions can witness breathtaking falls of thousands of birds, with trees and bushes supporting every color of songbird imaginable. Warblers may include Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Magnolia, Canada, Blackburnian, Mourning, Black-throated Blue, Cape May and Northern Parula, and if are fortunate we could find Worm-eating, Swainson’s, Yellow-throated, or the skulky Connecticut. Vireos should include Red-eyed, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed, Warbling, Philadelphia and White-eyed, with stunning Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles and Blue Jays also present. Each day here can present different birds, where one day may see hundreds of raptors passing through, while the next waders take over. In the wet marshes, viewable from hides and boardwalks, we will search for American and Least Bitterns, Great Blue and Green-backed Herons, Red-winged Blackbird, Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Pied-billed Grebe and Sora Rail. A nearby lake can be excellent for watching magnificent Bald Eagles catch fish to feed their growing young.

We will also visit Rondeau Provincial Park, yet another good migration watch point where several interesting breeding species such as Prothonotary Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker and Eastern Bluebird occur. Great Horned Owls can sometimes be found and both White-tailed Deer and Raccoons are common. A visit to several local sewerage lagoons will be particularly good for views of waders, with flocks consisting of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted, Solitary, and Least Sandpipers, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Short-billed Dowitcher. The surrounding trees attract smaller birds including such gems as Hooded, Cerulean, Kentucky and Mourning Warblers, American Redstart, and both Yellow and Black-billed Cuckoo.

Our hotel is in the town of Leamington, close to Point Pelee National Park. This enables us to thoroughly explore this wonderful site at a very relaxed pace. The species passing through change day by day so we will search out new birds and any others previously missed, such as Yellow-breasted Chat, Brown Thrasher, the huge Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Indigo Bunting, Veery, Swainson’s, Hermit and Wood Thrushes and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. One of the most difficult families is the `empidonax’ flycatchers, with Least, Willow, Alder, Acadian and Yellow-bellied all testing our identification skills. Meanwhile a whole selection of different sparrows is possible, including White-crowned, White-throated, Grasshopper, Savannah, Chipping, Lincoln’s, Song, Swamp, Field and Vesper, occasionally even LeConte’s or Henslow’s. Raptors on our list should by now include Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged, Sharp-shinned, Coopers and Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey and American Kestrel. You will be amazed by the beautiful little Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and with luck we could find a roosting Eastern Screech Owl or Whip-poor-Will, and both displaying American Woodcock and Common Nighthawk.

Days 11 - 13: Algonquin National Park
We will drive north to our hotel in Huntsville, just outside the huge wilderness of Algonquin National Park. Here the scenery changes to boreal type habitat with hundreds of scattered lakes. The bird life is subtly different with several species existing on the very southern limit of their range. There is an excellent network of trails, with atmospheric names such as the Spruce Bog Boardwalk and Mizzy Trail!  While walking quietly through the forests we hope to find the shy Boreal Chickadee, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Olive-sided Flycatcher, White-winged Crossbill, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin. Ruffed Grouse are reasonably common in certain areas, although Spruce Grouse can take quite a bit of searching before we spot one! The inquisitive Gray Jay is always a much wanted bird, and although they too can be elusive at this time of year, their habit of perching on the tops of pine trees is quite handy. The numerous lakes are always well worth checking for Black and Ring-necked Ducks, the stunning Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, and Common Loon. Animals are well represented and should include Moose, Beaver, Chipmunk, several species of squirrel, and if we were very lucky Black Bear. In the evening it may be possible to hear the howling from the local pack of Timber Wolves.

Day 14: Departure from Toronto
After some final birding we head back to Toronto airport where we catch our afternoon flight back home.

POINT PELEE Spring Migration Spectacular! May 8 - 21, 2009  Two Weeks! TOUR PRICE:   $ 3,050.00 based on double occupancy Deposit:  $500 per person     Single Supplement:  $ 875.00 per person (subject to availability) Maximum Group Size:  12 plus leaders Included in cost:  Cost of the tour is $3,050.00 from Toronto, Canada, based on double occupancy and includes accommodation in twin rooms en-suite, continental style breakfasts in most motels, all transport within Canada, entrance fees to all parks, and services of the leaders.  With fewer than ten participants, a small group surcharge (typically $100-300 per participant) will apply. Single supplement is $875.00. Not included:  It does not include roundtrip airfare to or from Toronto,meals, drinks and any items of a purely personal nature such as: laundry, telephone, drinks from the bar, insurance, airport departure tax, gratuities for porterage or personal services. Note: Meals are not included. There are a wide variety of competitively priced restaurants. Plan on approximately $40.00 per day for meals. Breakfasts are included at some of the hotels. RESERVATIONS: To reserve your place on this tour, complete the Registration/Release Form and mail it with a deposit of $500 per person to Sunrise Birding, LLC.  Instructions are on the form.   >Download and print the Registration Form.  Final payment is due by January 8, 2009 and must be paid by check.  If a minimum enrollment is not met, Sunrise Birding, LLC reserves the right to levy a small group surcharge for this trip.  Travel Planning: You are responsible for arranging your flights to and from Toronto.  Plan to arrive in the morning on first day of the tour and depart in the afternoon of the May 21.  Cancellations and Refunds:  Refunds, less a cancellation fee of $200 per person will be made only if Sunrise Birding, LLC is notified in writing of intent to cancel on or before January 8, 2009.   All cancellations must be made in writing.  There are no refunds for unused meals, accommodations, or other trip features.  Insurance:  The purchase of trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.  Sunrise Birding, LLC can not accept liability for airline cancellations or delays or penalties incurred by the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets or other expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for this tour.  Questions? Contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com  Phone: 203.453.6724

Photo credits: Scarlet Tanager and Niagara Falls by Gina Nichol.
Chestnut-sided Warbler by John Schwarz.
All other photos by Steve Bird.