The Pipits: Presqu'ile Provincial Park, with Martin Parker!

• If you have paid for a 2023 Pipits membership, please register for this event using the REGISTER button.
• To register for this event as an unpaid Pipit member, or for each person you register to accompany you (unless you have a FAMILY membership), please send etransfer for $15 to thepipitsbirdingclub@gmail.com, or bring cheque to event; AND use the REGISTER button.

Leader: Colleen, phone or text 289.795.6537

Guest leader: Martin and Kathy Parker

Hello Pipits!

This SUNDAY we will visit Presqui'ile Provincial Park with Martin and Kathy Parker as our wonderful guest leaders! This park harbours a variety of habitats, and can be an amazing place to bird during migration.

We will meet in the parking lot at the gate house (park entrance) at 9am.

Here is a description of the outing from Martin:

Fall Shorebirds of Presqu’ile

Presqu’ile Provincial Park, on the north shore of Lake Ontario is a birding and naturalist destination during all times of the year.  Presqu’ile Provincial Park is a peninsula which juts out into Lake Ontario and attracts migrating birds.  It is on the western edge of the shorebird migration route which extends southwards from James and Hudson Bays through the Ottawa Valley to Delaware and Chesapeake Bays.  Each spring and fall many species of shorebirds gather on the beaches of the park and adjacent islands.

On this outing the participants will visit the beach area and depending on conditions wade through shallow water to Gull Island.  This island contains the largest Ring-billed Gull colony on the Great Lakes along with a variety of other colonial nesting species.  Shorebirds also actively feed along the shores of the island. The adjacent waters of Lake Ontario will have a variety of waterfowl and the overhead there may be a Peregrine or Merlin.  At this time of the year the last stages of the Monarch migration may still be passing through the park area.

This is the 101 year for this Provincial Park!

The trip will commence at 9 a.m. at the park entrance and the participants will proceed to Owen Point to look for shorebirds and other migrants, possibly pipits.

BRING water shoes if you want to wade across to Gull Island. This activity is not a requirement, and is condition dependent.

Terrain consists of some groomed flat trails, boardwalk, and some rough ground, as well as possibly wading across to the island.

Looking forward to seeing those who can join us!