Spring Migration at Point Pelee
May 14-17, 2015

Let yourself be overwhelmed by Canada’s premier birding location. Very few places can compare with Point Pelee for the number and diversity of birds that pass through in spring migration, let alone the incredible number of rarities that are sighted each year! This small spit of land projecting into Lake Erie (the southernmost point in Canada) is a magnet for birds crossing the lake to northern breeding grounds. We will be enjoying this spectacle at a peak time for songbirds, such as warblers,vireos, thrushes, flycatchers, and sparrows. It is possible that we may encounter 30 species of warblers in the time that we are there. Possibilities include Prothonotary Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, or even a chance at a Kirtland’s Warbler. Many species with a Southern or Western “flavor” are recorded, including Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Dickcissel, Sedge Wren, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, and many more! We will also observe and appreciate the wide selection of waterfowl, seabirds, and shorebirds that the region affords. This area has played host to an amazing 378 species of birds, including 42 species of warblers! 

Day One: Arrive in the afternoon for check-in. Meet at 3:30 p.m. and proceed to the Hillman Marsh Conservation Area for an introduction to the region’s birds, before enjoying dinner at a nearby restaurant. This will give us all a chance to get acquainted and discuss the possibilities presented by the Pelee area. 

Day Two: Have an early breakfast and leave for Point Pelee National Park by 6:00 a.m. We will spend the morning enjoying the spectacular colors and sounds of migrant songbirds - Pelee’s feathered jewels. After breaking for lunch, we will continue to explore the varied habitats within the park, traversing woodlands, beaches, fields, and marshes in our search for an array of birds. The day’s birding will conclude around 5:00 p.m., with a review of the day’s sightings over dinner to follow.

Day Three: We will once again have an early breakfast before hitting the birding trail by 6:00 a.m. This day will be spent birding other hotspots in the Pelee area. We will start by enjoying the songbirds and wildflowers at Wheatley Provincial Park. The day will be filled checking out areas like Wheatley Harbour, Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, and nearby agricultural fields in searching for a variety of shorebirds, marshbirds, and waterfowl. We will break in the afternoon before meeting for a relaxing dinner at a nearby restaurant and a review of the day’s birding.

Day Four: A return to the wonders of “the Tip” at Point Pelee. We will focus on the passerines and other migrants concentrated at the southern end of the park, and locating species we may have missed earlier in the tour. We will bird until noon, then conclude the tour with a summary over lunch. You are welcome to stay and explore more of the Pelee area and the rest of Ontario on your own.

Tour Details
This tour includes three nights of accomodations at a comfortable motel! All the non-smoking rooms are furnished with either a queen sized bed or two double beds. Also included are any park entrance fees, as well as all of the meals, from dinner on Day One to lunch on Day Four, excluding any alcoholic beverages.

Professional guide services are provided for the duration of the tour. Brett M. Ewald will be the tour leader on this exciting excursion. As well as being an accomplished birder, naturalist, and biologist with experience from around the country, Brett has been involved in numerous research projects involving many of the species that will be encountered, as well as having led several tours to Point Pelee. He looks forward to sharing the wonders of the Point Pelee area with you!

Besides the spectacular birding, the annual Festival of Birds will be taking place at the park all through May, and features activities like evening theatre programs, book signings, and optical equipment displays. For those looking for alternative forms of entertainment, the municipalities of Windsor and Detroit are within an hour’s drive.

Tour Pricing 
Prices listed are per person, based on your level of occupancy.

• Double: $729.00 
  
• Single: $949.00
  

Terms and Conditions
Please fill out completely and sign the Extended Tours Registration Form and mail to Lakeshore Nature Tours, along with a $100.00 per person deposit. Make your check or money order payable to Lakeshore Nature Tours. Any balance due is required March 20, 2015. Confirmation and an informational packet, with finalized tour itinerary and details, will be sent upon guarantee of tour departure, based on adequate participation. A full refund of tour payments will be executed from Lakeshore Nature Tours for any cancellation resulting from inadequate participation. If the tour is full, a waiting list will be taken, and filled according to the date of registration. A $75 service fee will apply to a participant cancellation before March 20, 2015. Cancellations between March 20, 2015 and April 30, 2015 will forfeit the entire $100.00 deposit. After April 30, 2015, no refund will be available unless the vacant spot is filled, minus the $100.00 deposit. Transportation is the responsibility of the participant(s) throughout the tour.