[Ontbirds]Point Pelee Report week ending April 10

[Mark Cranford]

Posting for Friends of Point Pelee while they sort out a technical issue.

Submitted by Todd Pepper for Friends of Point Pelee.
Friends of Point Pelee is a Not for Profit volunteer organization 
supporting Point Pelee National Park of Canada. Please accept appologies 
for strange symbols in our previous emails. Hopefully this format will 
correct this issue -JR

What a difference a week makes. It is probably safe to say that spring 
has arrived at Point Pelee.  Essex County has experienced several days 
of 21-degree weather in the past week. The snow and ice are all gone in 
the Park. The trails are dry. The picnic areas, such as The Dunes, 
Sleepy Hollow, Pioneer, Black Willow and West Beach are open again, and 
the train to the Tip is back running on its regular schedule with trips 
from the Visitor Centre and Tip every 20 minutes.

There are also other signs of spring at Point Pelee. The American 
Goldfinch and Bonaparte’s Gull are in transition or already in breeding 
plumage. The Spring peepers are peeping, and a Morning Cloak Butterfly 
was seen on Tuesday soaking up the sun. The Essex Region Conservation 
Area started up the pumps at the beginning of the week to fill the 
shorebird impoundment at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area and it did not 
take long for the dabbling ducks to find this habitat.

First sightings of species for the year during the past week are set out 
below:
- Northern Shoveler and Ring-necked Duck - Hillman Marsh completing the 
list of 11 regular dabbling duck species for the area. All 11 species 
can still be seen at either the intersection of Road D and Road 19 or 
Hillman Marsh.
- Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter and a report of two female King Eider 
were seen along the west side of the Park from the south end of the West 
Beach parking lot to the Tip.
- Horned Grebe in the calm waters on the west side between the south end 
of the West Beach parking lot to the parking area before the train 
turn-around area, and Eared Grebe in the rough waters on the east side 
of the Tip near the 42nd Parallel sign.
- Double-crested Cormorants Lake Erie waters off the Tip
- Great Egret Muddy Creek at Wheatley Harbour
- Merlin - Concession Road D
- An unusual spring sighting of Golden Eagle watched it fly across the 
Lake coming from Pelee Island. It headed due north through the Park.
- Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe at the intersection of Road 
D and 19 and Lesser Yellowlegs at Hillman Marsh.
- American Coot - Marsh Boardwalk and Hillman Marsh.
- Belted Kingfisher - Hillman Marsh
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Northern Flicker - Tilden Trail and 
Sanctuary Picnic Area
- Tree Swallow  - Tip, Marsh Boardwalk, Hillman Marsh
- Winter Wren - Woodland Nature Trail
- Brown Thrasher - West Beach Trail
- Rusty Blackbird - Marsh
Over 80 species were observed to be present in the Point Pelee birding 
area during the week.

Birders visiting Point Pelee this spring and looking for Northern 
Mockingbird for their year list should check the local streets west of 
the Kinsmen Recreation Complex at Sherk Street and Ellison Avenue 
westerly to Cardinal Carter Secondary School. At least one, and perhaps 
two over-wintering pair of Mockingbirds has been observed on the
following streets: Ellison, Orchard Heights, Cherrywood, Roger, Gary 
Crescent and Nicholas.

Visitors to Point Pelee National Park should note that the bridge over 
the Sturgeon Creek from the Bevel Line Road to Point Pelee Drive is 
closed for repair until April 18, 2008. To access the Park go east on 
Seacliff Drive East from Erie Street South in Leamington. Continue east 
on Seacliff Drive past the Bevel Line turn-off to Concession Road 12. 
Turn Right on Concession 12 and join up with Point Pelee Drive at 
Paula's Restaurant.

4th annual Fundraising dinner
Friday May 9, 2008 @ 5:30 PM
Pelee Days Inn $60 per person ($25 tax receipt)
Reservations can be made at friendsofpointpelee.com
To help reduce our environmental impact...this is a ticketless event!
Presentation: "Coming Home: Return of the Western Lake Erie's & Detroit 
River's Charismatic Megafauna"
by Dr. John Hartig-Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
-- 

Mark Cranford
ONTBIRDS Coordinator
Mississauga, Ont.
mark.cranford at ofo.ca
905 279 9576