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May 9 – 20, 2016

Birding Point Pelee & Algonquin Park

Call us at 905-271-4000 or 1-800-363-7566 Visit www.adventurecanada.com for full prices and itinerary details.

ADVENTURE CANADA 14 Front St. S. • Mississauga, ON • L5H 2C4

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YOUR ITINERARY

Day 1 — Arrival and OrientationThe tour begins with arrival in Toronto. Night in Toronto.

Day 2: Carden PlainWe depart early in the morning for Algonquin Park. During the day we stop at Carden Plain, which is an open area of thin soils on limestone bedrock and poor agricultural potential, called an alvar. Because of this neglect, much of the area is old field, supporting an abundance of birds like upland sandpiper, eastern bluebird, golden-winged warbler, bobolink, eastern meadowlark, grasshopper, vesper, field, savannah and possibly clay-coloured sparrows, as well as eastern kingbird, and loggerhead shrike. The shrike is the Carden Plain’s most famous inhabitant, as there are only a handful of sites in northeastern North America that support this endangered subspecies. We also visit wetlands of the area to see black

tern, American bittern, marsh and sedge wren, osprey and northern harrier. Following this visit, we continue on our way to the Algonquin area to spend the night. Night at Oxtongue Lake.

Days 3–5: Algonquin ParkAlgonquin Park is one of Canada’s best regions to view wildlife. Its rugged topography lends itself to vast areas of broad-leafed forests, typical of more southern areas, as well as cold, mossy bogs and coniferous forests found throughout most of Canada’s north. This mix of habitats creates a fantastic diversity of birds that use the park to breed. By visiting in early May, we will be present when returning migrants are at full song. We can expect to see more than fifteen species including wood warbler, hermit thrush (one of North America’s best singers), blue-headed vireo, yellow-bellied sapsucker, winter wren, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, white-throated sparrow, rusty blackbird, purple finch plus many more. American woodcock

HIGHLIGHTS• The songbird migration spectacle at Point Pelee• The Boreal Forest specialties of Algonquin Park• Lots of mammals, from otters to moose• Relatively easy and productive birding in scenically

impressive and diverse areas

FEATURED BIRDS & MAMMALS:• loggerhead shrike • prothonotary warbler • black-backed woodpecker • spruce grouse • upland sandpiper • little gull • American woodcock

Join us for an exciting birding tour of Point Pelee and other spring migration hot spots of southern Ontario!

On this incredible tour of Ontario, we start on the Carden Plain which supports Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, Golden-winged Warbler and Loggerhead Shrike. Then it is on to marvelous Algonquin Park, where we look for boreal chickadee, spruce grouse, black-backed woodpecker and

other northern specialties while keeping an eye out for moose, otter, maybe even wolf! At the “Big 3” migration hotspots on Lake Erie, Point Pelee, Rondeau, and Long Point, we search for species such as red-bellied woodpecker, white-eyed vireo, and Kentucky, cerulean, hooded and Prothonotary warblers; during some spring migrations, up to thirty-five species of warblers may be observed at Point Pelee alone!

What’s Included

• All accommodation (Lakeside cottages; modern motel accommodation)

• Ground transportation (15-passenger vans)• Includes all breakfasts and lunches• Guides• All park, conservation, entrance fees• Gratuities

What’s Not Included

• Flights to and from Toronto• Evening meals• Travel Insurance• Items of a personal nature

Trip Details

Date: May 9 - 20, 2016Duration: 12 daysPrice: US$2,740 + HST, single supplement US$540 + HSTCredit Card Price: US$2,850 + HST, single supplement US$562 + HSTLimit: 12 adventurersTour Starts & End: Toronto, Ontario Guides: Kyle Horner & Steve Ogle

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will be in display flights over open areas. In addition, we’ll pursue species typical of the boreal forests of Canada like the common loon, spruce grouse, gray jay, black-backed woodpecker, boreal chickadee and the wanderers of the north, red- and white-winged Crossbills. The extensive forests of the park are good habitat for residents like the pileated woodpecker, barred owl, and ruffed grouse. Of course, we are always on the lookout for the many species of mammals commonly found in the park such as marten, black bear, red fox, eastern wolf and river otter—but these species are shy and not often seen. We should, however, encounter Algonquin’s largest inhabitant on a daily basis: the moose. In the spring, moose visit roadside ditches and wetlands in search of salty water, created by runoff of winter salting of the highways. At this time of the year, Algonquin will truly be an amazing place you won’t soon forget. Nights at Oxtongue Lake.

In the afternoon of day 5 of our trip we will travel southwest to Long Point, stopping along the way to check out interesting bird habitats. Night in Simcoe.

Day 6: Long PointWe spend the morning birding around the Yellowknife area before taking an afternoon flight to Cambridge Bay. We spend the rest of the day getting our bearings about town, noticing that the common town birds are snow buntings and Lapland longspurs—quite a change from house sparrows and starlings! We will spend the night in Cambridge Bay.

Days 7-10 — Cambridge BayOne of the “Big Three” migration hotspots of the northern shore of Lake Erie, Long Point is home to North America’s oldest bird observatory. We visit one of the field stations early in the morning to see what migrants have arrived overnight. Later, we move inland to the some spectacular forest tracts to see southern species on their breeding grounds such as hooded, cerulean, and blue-winged Warbler as well as the Louisiana waterthrush, yellow-throated vireo and blue-gray gnatcatcher. Night in Simcoe.

Day 7: Long Point and transfer to RondeauWe spend the morning birding around Long Point, looking for specialties not already found. After lunch, we head southwest to Rondeau National Park, arriving in time to take in some of the birding areas. Night near Rondeau.

Day 8. Rondeau Provincial ParkConsidered by many to be as fantastic a birding location as the famous Point Pelee, Rondeau is a beautiful Carolinian forest, which receives fewer visitors, and hence gives a more personal birding experience. We walk some of the many kilometers of trails in the Park, looking for resident red-bellied woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, prothonotary warbler, yellow-billed cuckoo and sort through the flocks of returning migrants. Later in the afternoon we continue our westward journey to the town of Leamington where we spend our next few nights.

Days 9-10: Point PeleePoint Pelee is a world-renowned birding location which can host thousands of migrating birds given the proper weather conditions. When warm air flows up from the south and meets a sudden cold front during the night, the resulting rain can force hundreds of passerines to descend on Pelee during their nocturnal procession northwards—which is what Point Pelee is partially famous for. We will bird the park in the mornings and visit surrounding sewage lagoons and wetlands in the afternoons for migrant shorebirds, such as Wilson’s phalarope, short-billed dowitcher, stilt sandpiper and dunlin, plus ruddy duck. Anything can turn up at Pelee—and usually does!

To give you a taste of what the birding is like at Pelee, consider the following: a day when a hundred species are not seen is considered a poor showing, and on a good day you may see between twenty-five and thirty species of warblers alone—all at the height of their colourful breeding plumages. There is also variety; you may see birds like little gull, worm-eating warbler, bald eagle, white-rumped sandpiper, orchard oriole, and Philadelphia vireo all on the same day! Nights in Leamington.

PLEASE NOTE: This is our intended itinerary. Wildlife sightings and some activities depend on favourable conditions. As with all of our adventures, weather, sea, and road conditions are a determining factor and will dictate our itinerary.

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Day 11: Point Pelee and transfer to TorontoWe spend the morning birding Point Pelee. After lunch, we head back to Toronto. Night in Toronto.

Day 12: Departure from Toronto The trip concludes in Toronto, after breakfast.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Our daily travel schedule will vary to account for weather, bird species and habitat. You can expect some early morning, before-breakfast walks as we search out migrating passerines, as well as late evening viewing, including one or two owling expeditions for those interested. Our tour involves generally easy walking and some hill climbing, sometimes for periods up to four hours. During these walks we stop frequently. We follow woodland trails and venture forth into low brush and occasional swampy and uneven terrain. When we have two leaders, we sometimes split into “faster” and “slower” groups.

Around noon time we stop for a sit-down meal at a restaurant or to have a picnic lunch. If it is hot, as it can be in southern Ontario, we may rest for an hour or so during the middle to late afternoon. In the evening, we usually arrange to go to a local restaurant. During this time we discuss the day’s activities and review the list of birds seen and heard, and plan for the next day.

Spring weather in southern Ontario can be extremely variable and you should be prepared for anything from cold rain to muggy heat, however, the snow will have gone by then. While Ontario is widely known to be infested with mosquitoes and other biting insects in late spring and summer, feel secure in the fact that our trip will occur before the insect season begins. For the most part, May is very comfortable and a lovely time to visit the province.