Good morning. The 2013 Point Pelee National Park Festival of Birds is off to a good start with at least 20 species of warbler in the park. The Tip was the hot spot with a significant reverse migration of dozens of species heading south back over Lake Erie.
Highlights at the Tip included: SURF SCOTER;COMMON LOON; LITTLE GULL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL; at least a dozen RED-HEADED WOODPECKER; WHITE-EYED, BLUE-HEADED and WARBLING VIREO; BLUE-WINGED, CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED, HOODED, & BLACKBURNIAN, WARBLER. Fly-offs on the tip included also PROTHONOTARY ,& GOLDENWINGED WARBLER. An AMERICAN BITTERN was flushed in the Sparrow Field. The Black-Willow Picnic Area produced a female LARK SPARROW and a CERULEAN WARBLER. The Dunes Picnic Area was active with some typical later migrants such as CANADA WARBLER and AMERICAN REDSTART. A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW is still being seen in the grasses along the West Beach. halfway to the Tip. Other regular migrants such at SCARLET TANAGER and both ORCHARD and BALTIMORE ORIOLE were part of the reverse migration. -- Good Birding, Festival of Birds Hike Leaders: Pete R, Karl, Todd, Justin, John, Ellen, Sarah, Jean, Ross, Peter M, Mike and Alvan The Festival of Birds runs from May 3-20 - for a detailed schedule visit www.festivalofbirds.ca For highlights and other update follow us at www.twitter.com/PointPeleeNP The Festival is brought to you by Parks Canada - Point Pelee National Park and the Friends of Point Pelee. Hikes are generously supported by Quest Nature tours. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
