By Jeremy Hatt

One of the goals of the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club Membership Committee recently has been to develop and strengthen connections with other naturalist groups and organizations in the region. One of these organizations is the Windsor Feminist Bird Club, a local Chapter of the Feminist Bird Club, which is a global network with the following mission: “promoting inclusivity in birding while fundraising and providing a safe opportunity for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC, and women to connect with the natural world.”

The Windsor Feminist Bird Club (WFCB) was originally spearheaded by Samuelle Simard-Provencal, a former Masters student at the University of Windsor whose thesis was on Snow Bunting movement through southwestern Ontario. When Samuelle started the Chapter, the Ontario Field Ornithologists promptly reached out to ask if they would provide leaders for Birding With Pride at Point Pelee National Park, an annual birding event celebrating the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. EFCNC was there to support this event as well and connected with WFBC to collaborate on local outings going forward.

The first such outing was a well-attended Big Sit at the Delaurier Homestead parking lot at Point Pelee National Park on November 18, 2023. Participants brought lawn chairs and warm clothes and sat in the parking lot from 9am to 12pm to record every bird that moved through during the morning. Starbucks donated coffee and members brought baked goods and other snacks. It was a great first collaboration between the two groups and led to another Big Sit this year, held on November 16 at the same location!

One of the highlights of the first big Sit was a juvenile Golden Eagle that flew over in the last 5 minutes of the sit, 8 Red-shouldered Hawks, and a total of 200 Pine Siskins. This year there were several highlights including huge flocks of Greater Scaup streaming overhead totaling 7,608 birds (likely large rafts scared up by fishing boats on the east side of Point Pelee), migrating Tundra Swans, and a good selection of winter finches including the bird of the morning, a single flyover White-winged Crossbill.

A full list of species for both Big Sits can be found here:
November 18, 2023: https://ebird.org/checklist/S154736998
November 16, 2024: https://ebird.org/checklist/S202843408

Sameuelle Simard-Provencal has now moved out west to continue her studies in ornithology but local birding expert and ECFNC member, Kate Derbyshire, has taken over leading the Club moving forward. She has already run a successful Owl Prowl at Ojibway Park and continues to be active on the WFBC Instagram site, the main source of information for the Club. The Instagram handle for WFBC is @windsor.fbc and can also be reached by email at .

ECFNC looks forward to collaborating with the WFBC in the future to foster connections within the community and support the mission of the Windsor Chapter as outlined on their Instagram page: “Promoting inclusivity in birding for women, BIPOC, & LGBTQ+ folks. Everyone is welcome outdoors!”