Sheryl, Connor and I took a trip to Ontario in late August 2022. We started our trip in Toronto and birded there for a day then we went on to Sarnia. When we lived in Sarnia, I spent a lot of time at the Pinery Provincial Park which was 45 minutes from home. I was eager to share it with Connor and it did not disappoint us.
I saw four lifers on our trip. We saw the Chimney Swift in Toronto. I did not include a picture as it is just a small bird in a big sky.
In Sarnia and several other places, we saw the Carolina Wren. It is common in Ontario but not out west.
At the Pinery Provincial Park we got very lucky and saw two Yellow-billed Cuckoos. I do not think they are very common in Ontario but this year they seemed to have a lot reported on ebird. On the same day in the Pinery, we saw a Yellow-throated Vireo. It is also more common in the east and very rare in the west.
After Sarnia, we travelled down to Lake Erie. Point Peele National Park is a special place where migrating birds stop after flying across Lake Ontario in May. If there have been strong headwinds, the birds will land and fill the trees as they recover their energy. These fallouts attracts birders by the hundreds. It is not quite so active in August but it was fun to go there regardless.
One of the highlights of the trips occurred in Rondeau Provincial Park, just east of Point Pelee. We had hiked in the park in the morning and were having our lunch outside the visitors centre. A gentleman noticed our camera gear and asked us if we were bird photographers. Of course, that started a great conversation and he invited us to come photograph in his backyard. We agreed but we had no idea what we were agreeing to. Richard, known as Rondeau Ric has an amazing backyard that borders Lake Erie. He has constructed a water feature that attracts birds like crazy and has several bird feeders as well. Richard set us up in his blind and left us to fire away. The image of the Cape May Warbler was taken in his water feature. I can’t remember the exact number but I think he has seen over 180 birds in his backyard and many more flying overhead and on the beach. He has even seen a Magnificent Frigate Bird! Many thanks to Ric for his kindness and generosity.
We finished out trip in Niagara-on-the Lake. Wine tasting and a trip to the falls was mixed into the birding.
