Birdwatchers swoop in as Point Pelee migration season peaks

Thousands have gathered in Point Pelee to witness one of Canada’s greatest natural migrations. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell is on scene.

Early mornings and crisp spring air aren’t deterring crowds from descending on Point Pelee National Park this month for one of Canada’s premier birdwatching events.

The annual Festival of Birds is underway and drawing visitors from across the country and around the world to the southernmost tip of mainland Canada. The event, which began at the start of the month, runs until May 19.

“It’s been great. You know, it’s been a little bit cool some days. Definitely some chilly mornings,” said Andrew Laforet, Acting Visitor Experience Manager at the park.

“But the birds are here. The birders are here, so we’re having a great time.”

Each spring, Point Pelee becomes a key rest stop for hundreds of migratory bird species making their journey north. The park’s geography makes it a magnet for colourful songbirds, raptors, and even pelicans. Officials said over 400 various bird species have been recorded inside the park.

“We have a very big concentration of songbirds descending on the park,” said Laforet.

“Not all of our leaves are grown in. You can see they’re still fairly bare, which makes it nice and easy to see through the bush. Those songbirds are bright and colourful. They’re singing away, hoping to attract a mate. So, it’s excellent birding for a good two or three weeks here in the park.”

For birders, the best action happens early in the day.

“They’re all migrating north right now. So, they descend on the park, fairly early in the morning,” Laforet explained.

“So, a lot of our birders want to get right down to the tip to see what’s landing down there first thing, and then of course, those birds will start making their way north from there. So, we always encourage the birders to get here nice and early, to get their chance to see it.”

Laforet said if you don’t make it all the way down, there are lots of other great places to see birds in the park and all over the region.

The return of the festival also provides a welcome boost to the local economy.

“We’re welcoming visitors from all over the region, all over the country, all over the world,” said Laforet.

“So, we welcome those visitors, and I hope our businesses reap the benefits of that. Getting all that tourism locally is a really nice thing.”

The Friends of Point Pelee, a non-profit organization that supports park programming, plays a key role in organizing guided hikes and outreach during the festival.

“It’s a very exciting time of year, for sure!” said Celeste Sisley, general manager of the group.

“They come here from all over the world. Yeah. It’s pretty exciting and we have hikes that we lead. 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and the park is full, and everybody’s excited to be here.”

Sisley said the enthusiasm is infectious.

“Everybody comes here to see the birds and just enjoy the day,” she said.

Birders are arriving before sunrise in hopes of spotting rare species, and this year hasn’t disappointed.

“Pelicans have been here, so that’s great. And the bird of the year is the Sandhill Crane... and they are out here, so that’s exciting. Two people have said they’ve seen them,” said Sisley.

“They’re here at five in the morning and excited to be here and, we get so many different species here.”

She said the festival is vital to keeping operations running through the year.

“This is the most important time of the year for us. It helps us to create revenue for the park for the rest of the year. So, yes, that is very important to us and the park.”

Birders like Jeff Cunningham, who drove in from Poplar Hill near London, said the event is buzzing.

“We’ve seen people from Quebec and from Michigan and Ohio here already today,” he said.

“And, you know it’s busy because there’s no parking. So, if people come, they’ve got to be prepared to be turned around.”

Lisa Edgar travelled from Barrie for the event.

“It’s wonderful. It’s been very organized, and people are very kind and helpful,” she said. Her advice to newcomers?

“Honestly, to just stand still, take a few steps, stand still, look around. Bring a good scout with you, haha!”

Laforet noted that while the festival officially ends May 19, the migration doesn’t.

“The festival runs until the 19 of May but that doesn’t mean the birds will stop coming,” he said.

“So, if you happen to visit on the 20 and 21 or even later in the season, there’s always birds to be seen at Point Pelee.”

This weekend, the excitement continues to build for Global Birding Day on Saturday, a worldwide initiative that encourages birders of all ages to log their sightings and contribute to conservation science.

“We expect to be quite busy,” Laforet said.

“Like I say, you want to get here nice and early, but if you don’t get a good spot here at the visitor centre, there’s lots of other great places to go out and see some birds in the park and all around the region.”