Field Trips

Trips are listed below. For a printable version including map information please click on the PDF icon to the right.

Birding Old Cut and Long Point Provincial Parks

Enjoy a morning walk around the Long Point Bird Observatory’s Old Cut Field Station and the Long Point Provincial Parks.

Leaders: Jody Allair and Mike Burrell (additional leaders will be added if necessary).

Details: Meet at the parking lot on the west side of Old Cut Blvd. across from the Old Cut Field Station. Plan to arrive a few minutes early, as the trip leaders may divide up the participants into smaller groups and go to different locations throughout the area. Trip ends at 11:30.

Site Description: Long Point is the largest freshwater sand spit in the world, and is also a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, an International Wetland Reserve, an International Monarch Butterfly Reserve and a Globally Important Bird Area. The majority of the point is off-limits to the general public thanks to the stewardship and early conservation efforts of the Long Point Company (an elite private hunt club). The Canadian Wildlife Service now protects much of the point and marshes of Big Creek as a National Wildlife Area. The base of the point is a migration hotspot and provides numerous trails and routes which make for excellent walking and viewing. Over 300 species have been documented in the small census area of the Old Cut Field Station alone! This is prime migration time on Long Point and the chances of finding something rare or unusual are good, but finding a great diversity of migrants is even better.

Birding the Long Point Birding Area

Take a morning drive, which will include short walks, to visit some of the hotspots in the Long Point birding area.

Leaders: Jon McCracken, and others if necessary.

Details: Meet at the Bird Studies Canada Headquarters Parking Lot in Port Rowan. Depending on numbers, the leaders may want to split the participants into smaller groups, and encourage car pooling, so plan to arrive a few minutes early. The exact route will depend somewhat on the conditions the week before the convention but destinations will likely include the BSC Headquarters property, Big Creek Marsh, Hastings Drive and the 1st Concession wetland. Each location provides great opportunities for migrant waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds. Trip ends at 11:30.

Site Description: Long Point is the largest freshwater sand spit in the world, and is also a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, an International Wetland Reserve, an International Monarch Butterfly Reserve and a Globally Important Bird Area. The majority of the point is off-limits to the general public thanks to the stewardship and early conservation efforts of the Long Point Company (an elite private hunt club). The Canadian Wildlife Service protects much of the point and marshes of Big Creek as a National Wildlife Area. The Long Point birding circle is a patchwork of marshlands, agriculture, grasslands, and has one of the highest forest densities in southern Ontario. During the breeding season many Carolinian and other forest specialties can be found with ease. However at this time of year it’s more productive to tour the migrant-traps. The Long Point birding circle checklist currently stands at 388 species, so there’s a pretty good chance of finding just about anything.

Port Burwell and Hawk Cliff

Explore one of Ontario’s newest rarity hotspots and a fantastic hawk-watching location.

Leaders: Ken Burrell and Brandon Holden.

Details: Meet at the Port Burwell Public Beach Parking Lot on the east side of the harbour. The morning will begin with a walk through Port Burwell Provincial Park. By late morning the tour will go to Hawk Cliff to enjoy the raptor migration until early afternoon. Pack a lunch or there will be opportunities to grab a bite in Port Burwell or Port Stanley later in the day. Trip ends by 14:00–15:00.

Site Description: Port Burwell is a small fishing port about 30 km west of Long Point originally developed for timber export in the mid-1800’s. The park has always been a great spot for migrants, and the area has produced some incredible rarities in the past couple of years including Black-throated Gray Warbler, Black-throated Sparrow, and Black-tailed Gull. The large pier offers a great resting location for gulls. Hawk Cliff is one of Ontario’s best locations to observe fall raptor migration. If the raptor migration is poor, the cliff overlooking the lake along with the access road can be great for migrating passerines. Port Stanley offers another great opportunity for gulls and shorebirds.

Turkey Point and the Townsend Sewage Lagoons

Explore several birding hotspots around Turkey Point, Port Dover and the Jarvis and Townsend Sewage Lagoons.

Leaders: Cheryl Edgecombe and Stu Mackenzie.

Details: Meet at Turkey Point Restaurant (Hwy 24 and Turkey Point Rd.). The tour will head down to Turkey Point Provincial Park and beach before working their way along the lakeshore to Port Dover. The last destination is the Jarvis and Townsend sewage lagoons. Pack a lunch or there will be opportunities to grab a bite in Port Dover. Trip ends at 14:00–15:00.

Site Description: Nestled along the north shore by Long Point, Turkey Point is a vast network of beaches, marshes and woodlands including some great expansive Pine-Oak savannahs. Much like Long Point, the beaches have become a popular summer destination for beach goers and cottagers although less restricted than Long Point. After Turkey Point the tour will continue east down the lakeshore to check out Silver Lake which is a recreational lake with lots of great habitat on the outskirts of Port Dover. Port Dover was once a bustling fishing village but the industry operates at a much smaller scale today. The town has more recently become a summer destination full of arts, motor bikes on certain days, and great fresh fish! As the day winds down, the tour will head east to check out the natural waste water management facilities of the towns of Jarvis and Townsend; both of which can be very productive depending on the water levels. This trip is likely to produce the most shorebird and waterfowl diversity.

Birding the Long Point Birding Area

Take an afternoon drive, which will include short walks, to visit some of the hotspots in the Long Point birding area.

Leader: Christian Friis and John Brett

Details: Meet at the Bird Studies Canada Headquarters in Port Rowan. Depending on numbers, the leaders may want to split the participants into smaller groups, and encourage car pooling, so plan to arrive at least a few minutes early. Trip ends at 16:00.

Site Description: See above.