Birding Point Pelee

& Algonquin Park

May 9 20, 2016
Call us at 905-271-4000 or 1-800-363-7566
Visit www.adventurecanada.com for full prices and itinerary details.
ADVENTURE CANADA 14 Front St. S. Mississauga, ON L5H 2C4

Join us for an exciting birding tour of Point Pelee and other

spring migration hot spots of southern Ontario!
On this incredible tour of Ontario, we start on the Carden
Plain which supports Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink,
Golden-winged Warbler and Loggerhead Shrike. Then it is
on to marvelous Algonquin Park, where we look for boreal
chickadee, spruce grouse, black-backed woodpecker and

other northern specialties while keeping an eye out for

moose, otter, maybe even wolf! At the Big 3 migration
hotspots on Lake Erie, Point Pelee, Rondeau, and Long
Point, we search for species such as red-bellied woodpecker,
white-eyed vireo, and Kentucky, cerulean, hooded and
Prothonotary warblers; during some spring migrations, up to
thirty-five species of warblers may be observed at Point
Pelee alone!

Trip Details

Whats Included

Whats Not Included

Date: May 9 - 20, 2016

Duration: 12 days
Price: US$2,740 + HST,
single supplement US$540 + HST
Credit Card Price: US$2,850 + HST,
single supplement US$562 + HST
Limit: 12 adventurers
Tour Starts & End: Toronto, Ontario
Guides: Kyle Horner & Steve Ogle

A
 ll accommodation (Lakeside cottages;
modern motel accommodation)
Ground transportation (15-passenger vans)
Includes all breakfasts and lunches
Guides
All park, conservation, entrance fees
Gratuities

Flights to and from Toronto

Evening meals
Travel Insurance
Items of a personal nature

HIGHLIGHTS
The songbird migration spectacle at Point Pelee
The Boreal Forest specialties of Algonquin Park
Lots of mammals, from otters to moose
Relatively easy and productive birding in scenically
impressive and diverse areas

FEATURED BIRDS & MAMMALS:

loggerhead shrike prothonotary warbler black-backed woodpecker spruce grouse upland sandpiper
little gull American woodcock

YOUR ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrival and Orientation
The tour begins with arrival in Toronto. Night in Toronto.
Day 2: Carden Plain
We depart early in the morning for Algonquin Park. During the
day we stop at Carden Plain, which is an open area of thin
soils on limestone bedrock and poor agricultural potential,
called an alvar. Because of this neglect, much of the area
is old field, supporting an abundance of birds like upland
sandpiper, eastern bluebird, golden-winged warbler, bobolink,
eastern meadowlark, grasshopper, vesper, field, savannah and
possibly clay-coloured sparrows, as well as eastern kingbird,
and loggerhead shrike. The shrike is the Carden Plains
most famous inhabitant, as there are only a handful of sites
in northeastern North America that support this endangered
subspecies. We also visit wetlands of the area to see black

tern, American bittern, marsh and sedge wren, osprey and

northern harrier. Following this visit, we continue on our way to
the Algonquin area to spend the night. Night at Oxtongue Lake.
Days 35: Algonquin Park
Algonquin Park is one of Canadas best regions to view
wildlife. Its rugged topography lends itself to vast areas
of broad-leafed forests, typical of more southern areas,
as well as cold, mossy bogs and coniferous forests found
throughout most of Canadas north. This mix of habitats
creates a fantastic diversity of birds that use the park to
breed. By visiting in early May, we will be present when
returning migrants are at full song. We can expect to see
more than fifteen species including wood warbler, hermit
thrush (one of North Americas best singers), blue-headed
vireo, yellow-bellied sapsucker, winter wren, ruby-crowned
and golden-crowned kinglets, white-throated sparrow, rusty
blackbird, purple finch plus many more. American woodcock

will be in display flights over open areas. In addition, well

pursue species typical of the boreal forests of Canada like
the common loon, spruce grouse, gray jay, black-backed
woodpecker, boreal chickadee and the wanderers of the
north, red- and white-winged Crossbills. The extensive
forests of the park are good habitat for residents like the
pileated woodpecker, barred owl, and ruffed grouse. Of
course, we are always on the lookout for the many species
of mammals commonly found in the park such as marten,
black bear, red fox, eastern wolf and river otterbut these
species are shy and not often seen. We should, however,
encounter Algonquins largest inhabitant on a daily basis:
the moose. In the spring, moose visit roadside ditches
and wetlands in search of salty water, created by runoff
of winter salting of the highways. At this time of the year,
Algonquin will truly be an amazing place you wont soon
forget. Nights at Oxtongue Lake.

Day 7: Long Point and transfer to Rondeau

We spend the morning birding around Long Point, looking
for specialties not already found. After lunch, we head
southwest to Rondeau National Park, arriving in time to
take in some of the birding areas. Night near Rondeau.

In the afternoon of day 5 of our trip we will travel southwest

to Long Point, stopping along the way to check out
interesting bird habitats. Night in Simcoe.

Days 9-10: Point Pelee

Point Pelee is a world-renowned birding location which can
host thousands of migrating birds given the proper weather
conditions. When warm air flows up from the south and
meets a sudden cold front during the night, the resulting
rain can force hundreds of passerines to descend on
Pelee during their nocturnal procession northwardswhich
is what Point Pelee is partially famous for. We will bird the
park in the mornings and visit surrounding sewage lagoons
and wetlands in the afternoons for migrant shorebirds,
such as Wilsons phalarope, short-billed dowitcher, stilt
sandpiper and dunlin, plus ruddy duck. Anything can turn
up at Peleeand usually does!

Day 6: Long Point

We spend the morning birding around the Yellowknife
area before taking an afternoon flight to Cambridge Bay.
We spend the rest of the day getting our bearings about
town, noticing that the common town birds are snow
buntings and Lapland longspursquite a change from
house sparrows and starlings! We will spend the night in
Cambridge Bay.
Days 7-10 Cambridge Bay
One of the Big Three migration hotspots of the northern
shore of Lake Erie, Long Point is home to North Americas
oldest bird observatory. We visit one of the field stations
early in the morning to see what migrants have arrived
overnight. Later, we move inland to the some spectacular
forest tracts to see southern species on their breeding
grounds such as hooded, cerulean, and blue-winged
Warbler as well as the Louisiana waterthrush, yellowthroated vireo and blue-gray gnatcatcher. Night in Simcoe.

Day 8. Rondeau Provincial Park

Considered by many to be as fantastic a birding location
as the famous Point Pelee, Rondeau is a beautiful
Carolinian forest, which receives fewer visitors, and hence
gives a more personal birding experience. We walk some
of the many kilometers of trails in the Park, looking for
resident red-bellied woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker,
prothonotary warbler, yellow-billed cuckoo and sort through
the flocks of returning migrants. Later in the afternoon we
continue our westward journey to the town of Leamington
where we spend our next few nights.

To give you a taste of what the birding is like at Pelee,

consider the following: a day when a hundred species are
not seen is considered a poor showing, and on a good
day you may see between twenty-five and thirty species of
warblers aloneall at the height of their colourful breeding
plumages. There is also variety; you may see birds like
little gull, worm-eating warbler, bald eagle, white-rumped
sandpiper, orchard oriole, and Philadelphia vireo all on the
same day! Nights in Leamington.

PLEASE NOTE: This is our intended itinerary. Wildlife sightings and some activities
depend on favourable conditions. As with all of our adventures, weather, sea, and road
conditions are a determining factor and will dictate our itinerary.

Day 11: Point Pelee and transfer to Toronto

We spend the morning birding Point Pelee. After lunch, we head back to Toronto. Night in Toronto.
Day 12: Departure from Toronto
The trip concludes in Toronto, after breakfast.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Our daily travel schedule will vary to account for weather, bird species and habitat. You can expect some early morning,
before-breakfast walks as we search out migrating passerines, as well as late evening viewing, including one or two owling
expeditions for those interested. Our tour involves generally easy walking and some hill climbing, sometimes for periods up to
four hours. During these walks we stop frequently. We follow woodland trails and venture forth into low brush and occasional
swampy and uneven terrain. When we have two leaders, we sometimes split into faster and slower groups.
Around noon time we stop for a sit-down meal at a restaurant or to have a picnic lunch. If it is hot, as it can be in southern
Ontario, we may rest for an hour or so during the middle to late afternoon. In the evening, we usually arrange to go to a local
restaurant. During this time we discuss the days activities and review the list of birds seen and heard, and plan for the next
day.
Spring weather in southern Ontario can be extremely variable and you should be prepared for anything from cold rain to
muggy heat, however, the snow will have gone by then. While Ontario is widely known to be infested with mosquitoes
and other biting insects in late spring and summer, feel secure in the fact that our trip will occur before the insect
season begins. For the most part, May is very comfortable and a lovely time to visit the province.