Point Pelee National Park: Shadowing Songbirds During Spring Migration
Point Pelee National Park 1118 Point Pelee Drive Leamington ON N8H 3V4, Canada
Waterlilies bloom in late spring at Point Pelee
Point Pelee National Park is a birdwatcher's paradise in the spring. Situated at Canada's southernmost tip, it becomes a crucial stopover for migrating birds that cross Lake Erie. Experience the spectacle as flocks of songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors speckle the trees during spring migration.
Trip Report:
Our focus for the trip was going birding! I had heard this park be recommended by local birding groups as the place to be during spring migration so I booked a spot the second online registration opened on the Parks Canada website and managed to grab a couple nights. Registering an oTentik during spring migration is very competitive so set an alarm and don’t miss out!
| Type | Roofed | |
| Toronto Drive | ||
| Duration | ||
| Campground | Camp Henry | |
| Site | 9 | |
| Season | Spring (May 2022) |
Day 1: To Lake Erie
*Cellular service is spotty throughout the park so remember to download offline maps.
oTentik Reservations: (here)
oTentik #9 at Camp Henry with pink muskoka chairs
oTentik interior - table and chairs
oTentik interior - fireplace
Camp Henry washing station
Park Maps: birding hotspots, general biking & hiking trails
Woodland Nature Trail Towards the tip
We headed for a long walk to the tip of Point Pelee for an unobstructed view of the a great lake. The tip actually changes shape over time due to Lake Erie's waves and currents that erode the land along with sediments carried in that are deposited along the shoreline.
The tip of Point Pelee Park that is part by Lake Erie
Painting + A Steamy Meal
We settled our first night with a painting and a deluxe (by camping standards) hot pot meal.
Painting en plain air at the campsite
Camping meal: hot pot
Day 2: Birding Trails
I headed to the beach closest to Camp Henry to catch the morning waves for a quiet solo painting session. Nearby, barn swallows were everywhere - you can spot their distinct cup-shaped nests in all sorts of structures. Did you know these nests are formed from a mixture of mud and their own saliva making them especially durable. This means they often return to the same nesting sites year after year.
Lakeshore overlooking Lake Erie
Watercolour painting the rocky shore
Barn swallow nests at Point Pelee Park
Birding at tIlden Woods
Although very new to birding, we headed to Tilden Woods which is known for hosting a significant variety of *warblers during the spring migration. It was overwhelming! Yellow, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Blackburnian, the list goes on that we couldn’t identify them all. Often you hear birds before you see them so keep your ears open. And, follow the seasoned birders, they’ll clue you in on where to look.Point Pelee has various birding trails
Marks left by a wood-boring insect in one of the forested trails
Tilden Woods Boardwalk Trail
More Trails!
You can see the map I posted above for more details, but we were able to hike all the nearby trails comfortably this day. We did the DeLaurier Homestead, dropped by the Cactus Field (there were actually cacti!) and the Chinquapin Oak trail back to the west beach. W cooked some dehydrated curry to fuel us back up and I painted the shoreline.
Using a backpacking stove, we had food on the trail and prepared a dehydrated curry meal
Plein air painting the lake, trees, and clouds
A piece of a robin’s egg left on the picnic table
Day 3: Marsh Boardwalk
Wether you like it or not, spring migration comes with an early morning alarm through the chorus of bird calls. Awoken, we packed up and headed out.
The interior sleeping quarters of our oTentik
Drop-In at Marsh Boardwalk
Turtles, snakes, sandpipers, Pine warblers, and Black Terns were just some of the wildlife we saw. The area is a quick comfortable walk that you can finish in about 20 minutes, though take your time and soak in the surroundings. You can actually paddle here! Something we’ll do next trip.
Marsh Boardwalk lookout tower
Possibly a Northern Watersnake
Tree and Barn swallows flood this area - if you see birds zipping by the sky like bats, these are your culprits. They congregate at the tower where you can marvel at them in large numbers.
A sea of various wetland grasses, Red-winged Blackbird are the most common bird you’ll see here
Final Thoughts
We haven’t visited too many far south parks but I was glad to experience Point Pelee during such a natural phenomena. Without binoculars or knowing where or what to look for, visitors may find the park unexpectedly quiet so if birding isn’t your main activity, you may not experience Point Pelee to the fullest. However I think the oTentiks alone are worth visiting as its an unusual accommodation. For birders like us, we loved it here! And would come back for spring migration as a yearly tradition if we can.
For our camping gear list, click here.
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A birder’s paradise, we dropped in during spring migration. Bring your binoculars!