Pelee Island: A Trip to Inspire

Pelee Island: A Trip to Inspire

Written by Andy Paul for The Egret – Issue 35 – Number 2

It is my humble opinion that one event is second to none when it comes to Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club field trips: the annual overnight trip to Pelee Island, organized and led by long-standing member and past club president Dave Kraus. Whatever your interest, the trip guarantees participants an opportunity to slow down, relax, explore and learn. Add some delicious food, comfy accommodations and friendly company, and you’re sure to have a wonderful time. And that’s just what was had at this year’s 24th annual Pelee Island field trip, which took place the weekend of May 4-5. (Yup, that’s right: 24th annual!)

Upon arriving at our destination aboard the 59-year-old Pelee Islander (the brand new Pelee Islander II was docked for repair work), we checked in at the landmark Anchor and Wheel Inn and enjoyed a fine lunch. Bellies full and binoculars in hand, our eager group was ready to board the bus and head off around the island. We didn’t have to go far to encounter our first amazing birds of the day. Just steps from the doors of the inn, among the freshly budding trees, we were greeted by a variety of beautiful birds, including cedar waxwings, purple martins, Baltimore orioles and numerous warblers. Most notable was a hooded warbler — a threatened species with a bright yellow plumage and black around its neck resembling a hood. Excited by our initial birding luck, and unsure of the surprises that lay ahead, we boarded our bus and began to explore the island further.

Our next stop was the Kraus family habitat restoration property. There, we embarked on a casual walk in the meadow and created wetlands of this 37-acre unique parcel of land. What a treat it was to see, first-hand, the benefits of Dave’s stewardship efforts over many years to re-naturalize this old farm field. Along the walk we stopped to view one of the many snake hibernacula and passed by numerous bird nesting boxes that have been erected. One of the highlights of the walk was a surprise encounter with a woodcock nesting in the tall grass at the edge of the laneway. Equally surprised by us, it flew up from its nest revealing three eggs, then quickly returned to its nesting duty once we had moved along. Another highlight at the property occurred just as we were boarding the bus. Across the dirt road, in the grass at the edge of a large neighbouring farm field, was a male bobolink showing off its bold colours before flying off over some trees.

Lighthouse Point Nature Reserve is where we headed next. Much of the trail along Lake Henry Marsh was under water, but that did not deter the group as we had come prepared with rubber boots. For our efforts, we were treated to the sounds of green frogs and the smells of the newly emerging spring vegetation. Where the trail merges with the shoreline, we walked along the narrow beach to the old lighthouse at the northern-most tip of the island. The calm sound of the waves breaking on the beach and the invigorating fresh lake air were a delight to the senses and were cause to take a little pause. But onward we soon went, back on the bus and back to the inn for dinner, before heading out to our last destination of the day.

The last stop was at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Red Cedar Savannah ESA. A short walk into the property along its wooded, meandering trail brought us to the section of open savannah just as the sun was beginning to set. Crossing the savannah to the far wooded edge of the property, we paused to admire our quiet surroundings and the brilliant sunset before us.  Within a few minutes, we were treated to the calls of a great horned owl or two, making this a truly peaceful, magical moment. But one last surprise came as night fell and we approached our waiting bus. Directly above us, just steps from the bus doors, we heard the glorious call of an eastern whippoorwill and were able to watch the bird as it fluttered around on the tree branches directly above us. It was a great way to end our first day on the island.

The sun greeted us early on the second day of the trip. After a hearty breakfast from our hosts and a casual flyover by a scarlet tanager, our group of eager naturalists was off again. Our first stop was at the Pelee Island Bird Observatory banding station and Fish Point Nature Reserve.

Rubber boots were a necessity to get to the banding station, but sloshing through the mud was fun nonetheless. We were greeted by the resident ornithologists, who were busily checking the collection nets. Then we watched as they banded and released a small (and particularly cute) house wren. Careful exploring around some of the logs in the area revealed a couple of small-mouthed/blue-spotted salamanders. These populations of salamanders on Pelee Island are among Canada’s most rare and were a privilege to encounter during our visit.

The Fish Point Nature Reserve trail never disappoints, especially on a warm spring day. As we walked along the trail under the cool canopy of trees, we passed some of the unique flora and fauna that make this place so special. From hop trees to white trilliums, from prickly pear cacti to a huge bullfrog at the edge of the lagoon, it really was delight to experience. The southern-most part of the island, where the trail gives way to sand spit and dunes, was the perfect place for a rest. Just a short rest, however, as there was more exploring to do.

A quick stop on the side of the road at Mill Point Shore was the perfect place for our next sighting. We jumped off the bus and walked along the large, flat rocks that cover the shoreline for only a couple of minutes before spotting a Lake Erie water snake basking in the sun. Satisfied with our encounter, we continued a little farther down the road to the Stone Road Alvar Reserve — home to perhaps the best quality alvar habitat in southwestern Ontario. In lieu of seeing the likes of blue racers or giant swallowtails, it was the chinquapin oaks that were the stars of our brief walk through the alvar.

Another fine meal at the inn and a quick visit to the island bakery (I visited three times over weekend!), and we were heading off to our final destination of the day: Sheridan Point. There our group enjoyed a leisurely, final stroll. We walked down the road from the remains of the old winery, along the steep edges of the abandoned quarry, toward the shoreline and then back. Several birds, some salamanders and a painted turtle later, we had reached the conclusion of our island tour. At the West Dock we boarded the trusty Jiimaan and enjoyed a sunny ride back to the mainland. Some members were caught napping in their seats, as the rest was surely welcomed by everyone.

All in all, the 24th annual Pelee Island field trip was an exceptional event — for many reasons. The opportunity to experience the beauty of the island’s natural landscape, for one. And the chance to observe some unique and fascinating animals, for another. (The final count was 104 bird species!) But there was more to it than that. What made this weekend trip such a special event was the time spent with the genuinely kind people in our small group and the sense of naturalist passion shared with each other. It truly was a trip to inspire. Next year will be the 25th annual Pelee Island field trip. If you haven’t attended this event, or just haven’t been to the island for some time, I encourage you to attend. You’ll be happy you did.

Pelee Island Trip Bird List

May 4-5, 2019

(Compiled by Ian Woodfield)

1. Canada Goose
2. Mute Swan
3. Wood Duck
4. Mallard
5. Blue-winged Teal
6. Hooded Merganser
7. Common Merganser
8. Red-breasted Merganser
9. Wild Turkey
10. Pied-billed Grebe
11. Double-crested Cormorant
12. Great Blue Heron
13. Great Egret
14. Green Heron
15. Turkey Vulture
16. Bald Eagle
17. Northern Harrier
18. Red-tailed Hawk
19. Common Gallinule
20. American Coot
21. Black-bellied Plover
22. Killdeer
23. Spotted Sandpiper
24. Solitary Sandpiper
25. Lesser Yellowlegs
26. Dunlin
27. American Woodcock
28. Bonaparte’s Gull
29. Ring-billed Gull
30. Herring Gull
31. Morning Dove
32. Great Horned Owl
33. Common Nighthawk
34. Eastern Whippoorwill
35. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
36. Belted Kingfisher
37. Red-headed Woodpecker
38. Red-bellied Woodpecker
39. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
40. Downy Woodpecker
41. Northern Flicker
42. Least Flycatcher
43. Eastern Phoebe
44. Great Crested Flycatcher
45. Eastern Kingbird
46. Blue-headed Vireo
47. Warbling Vireo
48. Red-eyed Vireo
49. Blue Jay
50. American Crow
51. Purple Martin
52. Tree Swallow
53. Barn Swallow
54. Black-capped Chickadee
55. Red-breasted Nuthatch
56. Brown Creeper
57. Carolina Wren
58. House Wren
59. Marsh Wren
60. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
61. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
62. Eastern Bluebird
63. Swainson’s Thrush
64. Hermit Thrush
65. Wood Thrush
66. American Robin
67. Grey Catbird
68. Brown Thrasher
69. Cedar Waxwing
70. European Starling
71. Black and White Warbler
72. Orange-crowned Warbler
73. Nashville Warbler
74. Kentucky Warbler
75. Common Yellowthroat
76. Hooded Warbler
77. American Redstart
78. Yellow Warbler
79. Black-throated Blue Warbler
80. Palm Warbler
81. Yellow-rumped Warbler
82. Black-throated Green Warbler
83. Canada Warbler
84. Eastern Towhee
85. Chipping Sparrow
86. Field Sparrow
87. Vesper Sparrow
88. Song Sparrow
89. Swamp Sparrow
90. White-throated Sparrow
91. White-crowned Sparrow
92. Dark-eyed Junco
93. Scarlet Tanager
94. Northern Cardinal
95. Red-breasted Grosbeak
96. Bobolink
97. Red-winged Blackbird
98. Common Grackle
99. Brown-headed Cowbird
100. Baltimore Oriole
101. Purple Finch
102. House Finch
103. American Gold Finch
104. House Sparrow