On my way to the PAS annual meeting in Toronto, I decided to spend a couple of days at Point Pelee national park. It is the southern-most point of Canada, a peninsula jutting out into lake Erie that is a landing spot for birds migrating north in the spring. It was, fairly recently, proven that most Warblers migrate at night, so after a long night flying across the great lakes many of them land at Point Pelee to “refuel” before heading onward to the Boreal Forest. Some very pretty birds can be found there, and some rarities.

When I parked my car I immediately saw a group of enthusiasts watching a little brown bird, which turned out to be a Harris’s sparrow; it was the first time this bird had ever been seen in the Park.

Red-headed woodpeckers are one of my favourite Canadian birds, this was only the second time I had seen them.

Green Herons are fairly uncommon in the Park

Loggerhead Shrike don’t usually come this far north, I think this was a first for the Park also

One of the prettiest birds you could see is the Prothonatory Warbler (apparently named after the vestments of an official in the Catholic church!)

If you are interested, there are other photos on my other blog at keithbarrington.com