OFO Trip Report: Point Pelee National Park - Northwest Beach Big Sit

JH
Jeremy Hatt
Mon, Sep 20, 2021 2:12 AM

On September 18th, a small but enthusiastic group of four attended the Big Sit at Northwest Beach at Point Pelee National Park. We ended up finding a total of 61 species just within the Northwest Beach parking lot area and nearby trails. After the Big Sit, two of us continued north to bird Sanctuary Picnic Area and added an additional 5 species bringing our day total to 66. Northeast winds and sunny, warm weather made for a productive day w/ a good raptor flight and lots of migrant songbirds.

In the early morning hours, many warblers were seen flying over the parking lot but lighting and the height of their flight made for difficult ID. Fortunately, as the day went on, lots of warblers, vireos, and thrushes were seen around the edge of the parking lot as well as in the nearby trails. The forest was very active! We ended up w/ a total of 18 warbler species w/ Blackpoll Warbler being the most abundant. Lots of Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes were around and Blue-headed, Philadelphia, and several Red-eyed Vireos also gave great looks. Other select migrants included Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Least Flycatcher, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Northeast winds made for exciting raptor migration. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, we saw an estimated 50 Sharp-shinned Hawks (by far the most numerous raptor), as well as Turkey Vultures, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Merlin flying over the parking lot.

On the beach, two Lesser-blacked Gulls provided good study and a flock of Sanderlings and a couple Caspian Terns were nice additions. The only other shorebirds were two flyover Killdeer and a single Greater Yellowlegs.

Thank you to our small group who kept the energy high throughout the day. It was a fun experience to see how many species we could tally in a single area during the Big Sit.

Jeremy Hatt

On September 18th, a small but enthusiastic group of four attended the Big Sit at Northwest Beach at Point Pelee National Park. We ended up finding a total of 61 species just within the Northwest Beach parking lot area and nearby trails. After the Big Sit, two of us continued north to bird Sanctuary Picnic Area and added an additional 5 species bringing our day total to 66. Northeast winds and sunny, warm weather made for a productive day w/ a good raptor flight and lots of migrant songbirds. In the early morning hours, many warblers were seen flying over the parking lot but lighting and the height of their flight made for difficult ID. Fortunately, as the day went on, lots of warblers, vireos, and thrushes were seen around the edge of the parking lot as well as in the nearby trails. The forest was very active! We ended up w/ a total of 18 warbler species w/ Blackpoll Warbler being the most abundant. Lots of Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes were around and Blue-headed, Philadelphia, and several Red-eyed Vireos also gave great looks. Other select migrants included Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Least Flycatcher, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Northeast winds made for exciting raptor migration. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, we saw an estimated 50 Sharp-shinned Hawks (by far the most numerous raptor), as well as Turkey Vultures, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Merlin flying over the parking lot. On the beach, two Lesser-blacked Gulls provided good study and a flock of Sanderlings and a couple Caspian Terns were nice additions. The only other shorebirds were two flyover Killdeer and a single Greater Yellowlegs. Thank you to our small group who kept the energy high throughout the day. It was a fun experience to see how many species we could tally in a single area during the Big Sit. Jeremy Hatt