Grex Nature Conference

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Grex Nature Item 21: What time is best to visit Point Pelee?
Entered by arthur on Thu Apr 2 05:29:12 UTC 1992:

   What is the peak week for migrating birds at Point Pelee in
the spring?

7 responses total.

#1 of 7 by bad on Thu Apr 2 07:39:26 1992:

Migrating birds? Only thing I ever went there for was to "harvest" 
migrating smelt. Ick. They cooked them in some beer batter. Even Icker.

#2 of 7 by craig on Thu Apr 2 12:49:03 1992:

When visiting, one must always ignore the signs... go out to the point
and then into the water where the waves are coming from both directions.
As the undercurrent sweeps you away, you hum a lovely tune.
 
Cool place.

#3 of 7 by morel on Thu Apr 2 17:57:43 1992:

It depends on what you want to see, Tom.  Here's a paragraph from _The
Spring Birds of Point Pelee National Park_:

"The birds do not all arrive at one time as each species has a migration
pattern of its own.  The influx is first noted in March with the arrival of
the whistling swan and other waterfowl, horned larks, flickers, red-winged
blackbirds, bluebirds and fox sparrows, which reach their maximum numbers
during this month.  April is the month of arrival amd maximum numbers for
the horned grebes, cormorants, coots, terns, phoebes and many of the
sparrows.  May is the time of arrival and perios of greatest abundance for
white-crowned and white-throated sparrows and the latter part of the month
is shore-bird time with both plovers and sandpipers are at thier maximum
numbers.  The black and white and myrtle warblers appear early in the month
and warbler migration is nearly over when the blackpoll warbler appears.
All migration is over early in June."

Looking through our records, it appears we most often go between May
10-20th, trying to catch the hight of the warbler migration.

#4 of 7 by arthur on Fri Apr 3 17:03:53 1992:

   Thanks, this is exactly what I wanted to know.

#5 of 7 by jdg on Sat Apr 4 15:10:24 1992:

I LOVE to go there in May, as April is still a little too cold.  Bald Eagles,
warblers, and most importantly, lots of birders to help you identify the
various birds that all look like LBJs  (Little Brown Jobs) in the sun.

#6 of 7 by morel on Sat Apr 4 16:04:25 1992:

(Heh, if you think going to Pt. Pelee in April is a bit too cold, try going
to Whitefish Pt. in April.  Makes Pelee seem tropical.)

#7 of 7 by jdg on Sun Apr 5 03:57:22 1992:

I went to Whitefish in July last year.  It was still cold.

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