May 4, 2022 - Birding Day started at the Pt Pelee Tip and ended in the sunshine at Hillman Marsh

 It was misty and cool this morning . We took the tram to the Tip at Pt Pelee.  There were Nashville, Black throated Blue, Black throated Green, Blackburnian, Northern Parula, and Palm Warbler in the bushes.  Here is the Northern Parula.

We saw many Ruby crowned Kinglets throughout the park today.  Before we left the tip we all walked up the six story viewing tower at the Point.  It is made of steel grill flooring and steps and quite high.  Going up the tower is very easy but coming down one is looking at the steps and it is a grill that that one looks through and sees the ground way below.  The view from the top is stunning with the lake there and the Point and the marshes.    We took a selfie from the top to celebrate. Susan carried her scope up and looking through a scope at that height was really neat.   While it does not like we are happy, we were thrilled to be up there to see the view.

We were on the third level coming down when we took out the scope again and saw a Merlin sitting and in some trees and 2 Rose breasted Grosbeaks.  We then  walked through the Sparrow Field, Lost Post and Woodland Trail (Redbud seasonal trail).  Here we saw a Hooded Warbler and waited in vain for a Worm eating Warbler on Woodland Trail.  This tip to the visitor center walk took all morning. 

We ended having our lunch in the car again.  A little too cool to sit at a picnic bench. I mentioned that we had not seen a Cedar Waxwing in the park yet.  Two minutes later two Cedar Waxwings flew into the tree in front of the car.  We then went to the Marsh Boardwalk as some new birds had been seen there.  We had Lincoln's Sparrow there which was really pretty.  We dipped on the Lark Sparrow.  We climbed up the three story wooden viewing tower with our scopes to view the Marsh.  Last evening when we were there, we met several birders that said they saw Willets on the far shore.  We looked but did not see any Willets today.  We viewed two Bald Eagles flying around.  One was mature the other was an immature.  We then walked the Marsh Boardwalk.  We met up with a fellow member of the MacNamara Field Naturalist Club.  There was one Mute swan swimming around in the open area of the marsh and another Mute swan was sitting on a nest on an island.  

We  heard that there was a Clay coloured Sparrow at Black Willow trail near the Visitor Center on newly seeded grass.  We drove there and got great looks at White crowned Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow and Clay coloured.  The birds stayed a while so we just kept observing them.  Here is a White throated Sparrow.

After this we decided to do Tildens Woods Trail.  A Whip-poor-will was reported along with a Yellow throated Warbler.  On the trail we greeted Bruce.   He said he left home last night and arrived this morning and he said the birding was great.  We viewed the Whip-poor-will.  It was sitting oddly and up very high in a tree.  So it really was the back view.  We could also hear the frequent croaking sounds of Sandhill cranes along the beach from Tilden Woods in addition to the sound of waves crashing on the beach.  

 We continued to look for the Yellow throated Warbler on Tilden's Trail but had no luck.  On this trail  back to the car we met the youngest birder so far.  A three month old baby girl in a baby carrier carried by her dad.  She was named Sibley by her birder parents after Sibley's Bird Guide.  She was really sweet and likely will be a birder some day soon.  

By this time it was 6 pm and we decided to end the day at Hillman Marsh.  The sun was finally coming out and it was lovely.  We scanned the marsh and cell and found the Dunlins and then a solo Plover.  Susan studied the bird and said it was either a Black bellied Plover or a Golden Plover.  We debated and consulted the birding apps we had.  More birders arrived and we asked them if they saw the plover.  Yes but not sure.  Finally the bird flew and we saw black armpits seen.  It was a Black bellied Plover!  We had a nice evening flyby of Great Egrets which included on Snowy Egret.  Sweet! We then drove to the motel with a lovely sunset in the west.   A pretty good birding day!

We ended the day with 141 species to date for the trip.