My name is Marianne Reid, and I have been a local birder in the Pelee area for almost 20 years. I have lead birding tours for 7 years including being an expert birder for Point Pelee’s Festival of Birds in May, and as a local birder for BirdingPal Tours. Let me help you take full advantage of your birding adventure here in the Pelee area, whether it be an extended stay or a brief visit to one of North America’s top birding hotspots.
My tours are designed for novice and intermediate birders. Children with an interest in nature are also encouraged as we explore the local flora and fauna that make up the Carolinian Life Zone, which hosts more rare and endangered species than anywhere else in Canada!
There are 3 types of tours offered during the year: Spring migration tours, Fall migration tours and one day Summer tours.
Spring Tours (Last week of April to first week of June) (7:00am to late afternoon)
The most popular time of year to visit the Pelee area is during spring migration when birds are making their way up north to breed. The stars of the spring migration are the wood warblers in their full breeding colours. It is possible to get 20+ species of warblers during a visit to the Pelee area. We will visit Point Pelee National Park for songbirds, while checking out other nearby hotspots for shorebirds, and waterfowl.
Cost per day: 1-2 people $150.00
3-4 people $200.00
Fall Tours (second week of September to last week of October) (8:00 am to late afternoon)
Fall migration, though not as popular as the spring migration can be just as, and sometimes more, exciting as spring migration at Point Pelee. Not only are our spring migrants heading back south again, but the raptor migration is more spectacular in the fall than the spring. Another bonus to the fall is the annual fall migration of the Monarch Butterflies, as they cluster at the most southern end of the tip (sometimes in the thousands) before heading out over the open waters of Lake Erie. If wind conditions are right, the most southern tip of Point Pelee can be a great lookout for fall migrating Jaegers and Sabine’s Gulls.
Cost per day: 1-2 people $150.00
3-4 people $200.00
Summer Tours (July and August) (9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
Birding isn’t only limited to the spring and fall migration. In fact, the annual fall migration of shorebirds begins in July as adults leave their arctic nesting grounds where they breed under the midnight sun. When water levels are favorable in the Point Pelee marsh, mudflats are exposed leaving some of the only shorebird resting spots for miles around. Species such as Short-billed Dowitcher, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover and Pectoral Sandpipers are common, while less common species such as Red Knot, American Avocet and Red-necked Phalarope have occurred. By renting kayaks, we can explore and often get close views of shorebirds, terns and gulls.
Butterflies are also abundant in Pelee during the summer including Hackberry Emperor, Tawny Emperor, Giant Swallowtail, Buckeye and Monarch Butterflies. Don’t forget your camera!
Cost per day: $100.00 plus kayak rental fee
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