The Peak Of Spring Birding - Pelee Island And The Rest

Pelee Island is quickly becoming one of my favourite spring birding destinations in Ontario. Though situated in the middle of Lake Erie only a few kilometres southwest of the much more famous Point Pelee National Park, Pelee Island feels like it is a world away. There is a quiet way of life here. Many of the roads aren't paved, and much of the 15 km x 6 km island consists of well-drained agricultural fields. Only 200-300 people live on the island year round, and they are a resilient bunch. During the summer months the population swells to around 1,500, augmented by cottagers from mainly Ontario or Ohio. Indeed, even the author Margaret Atwood has a summer home here. 

Philadelphia Vireo - Fish Point, Pelee Island

The quality of the birding on Pelee Island compares favourably with Point Pelee. However, there are some advantages of the mainland. Point Pelee National Park is a much larger protected area, whereas the best birding locations on Pelee Island take up a much smaller footprint. The southern tip of Point Pelee can provide some of the most dynamic birding on the lower Great Lakes, though Pelee Island has it's own southern peninsula jutting into Lake Erie - Fish Point - that does a pretty good approximation of Point Pelee's tip. Another advantage of the mainland is that the habitat for shorebirds, wading birds and marsh birds is more extensive and Hillman Marsh, a short drive away from Point Pelee, is a premier birding location. But thanks to work being done by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Nature, Essex Region Conservation Authority and other organizations, the amount of marshland on Pelee Island is being managed and is slowly increasing. 

Fox Pond - Fish Point, Pelee Island

The possibility of potentially stumbling across a rare bird drives many birders, myself included. And while more rarities are discovered each spring at Point Pelee compared to Pelee Island, this is largely a function of the search effort. Pelee Island only receives a tiny fraction of the coverage. And because there are so few birders on the island, it feels like you stand a greater chance of being the lucky individual to discover the rare species. Indeed, on my last few spring trips to Pelee Island I have been fortunate to discover a Mississippi Kite, White-winged Dove, and Worm-eating Warbler, and lesser rarities like Cerulean Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Evening Grosbeak and Summer Tanager. 

Mississippi Kite - Fish Point, Pelee Island (May 12, 2022)

Worm-eating Warbler - Cooper Road, Pelee Island (May 2, 2022)

I've also been in the right place at the right time to chase rarities on Pelee Island including a Kirtland's Warbler, Piping Plover and Loggerhead Shrike. The highest number of birders I have seen attending a "rare bird twitch" on Pelee Island is no more than ten or twelve, compared to the hundreds that will descend on a rare bird at Point Pelee. ​

Kirtland's Warbler - Lighthouse Point, Pelee Island (May 11, 2022)

Loggerhead Shrike - Fish Point, Pelee Island (May 10, 2024)

Even apart from the true rarities, the birding quality on Pelee Island can be excellent. Some of the best fallouts I have ever experienced have been on Pelee Island. American White Pelicans are regularly viewed at Fish Point, and White-eyed Vireos are usually present in small numbers. And from a naturalist's perspective Pelee Island is home to a nice diversity of reptiles and amphibians including Eastern Fox Snake, Lake Erie Water Snake, Blanding's Turtle, and Canada's only populations of Blue Racer and Smallmouth Salamander. Quite a few interesting plants can be found on Pelee Island, many of which are quite localized in Canada. 

Smallmouth Salamander (presumed ID, though genetics are required to confirm) - Pelee Island (May 3, 2022)

The quiet pace of life and relative lack of other people agrees with me as well. As much as the hustle and bustle of Point Pelee National Park during May's Festival of Birds can be fun, and it is wonderful to catch up with many friends at Point Pelee, I do enjoy slinking off to the island each spring for a few days of meditative birding and exploration. 

Sunset at Fish Point, Pelee Island

Due to my busy guiding schedule this spring, I only managed a few days on the island. The birding was a bit slower this year (due to the lack of dynamic weather) and there were no fall-outs of songbirds, but it was still a very enjoyable visit. I arrived on the evening ferry on May 9 and immediately ventured down to the tip of Fish Point for an hour or two of birding before sunset. I had the entire place to myself, and in the golden rays of the evening sun I watched a medley of warblers and vireos feeding furiously on midges, gearing up for another night of migration. It felt good to be back on the island. 

Western Palm Warbler - Fish Point, Pelee Island

Black-and-white Warbler - Fish Point, Pelee Island

The next day, May 10th, was a busy but excellent day. I had a private birding tour scheduled with my friends Tricia and Kieran. For three years straight we have scheduled a day of birding together, at Rondeau in 2023, Pelee Island in 2024 and Pelee Island again this year. And I have to say, today's tour was pretty amazing. The birds cooperated and when it was all said and done we tallied over 100 species. I found an Eastern Foxsnake and even managed to convince Kieran to hold his first ever snake. Minutes later, I found Kieran his lifer White-eyed Vireo, so it was quite a way to finish off a memorable day!

Yours truly with an Eastern Foxsnake - Florian Diamante wetlands, Pelee Island

White-eyed Vireo - Florian Diamante wetlands, Pelee Island

Earlier in the day, the three of us had been birding from the blind overlooking the Florian Diamante wetlands. Kieran asked me what was the rarest bird that I had ever seen at this spot. I thought for a minute and said that it was probably the Black Tern from a few years ago, but I mentioned that this spot is always worth checking as it has very high rarity potential. 

A few minutes later I trained my scope on a few cormorants that were sitting on a distant log. One of the cormorants looked "interesting" through binoculars, and the scope views confirmed that I had found a rarity. I casually mentioned to Kieran that my previous answer of Black Tern was not accurate, as I had just found something rarer. He was pretty excited to look in the scope and see the Neotropic Cormorant, only the third record for Pelee Island.  

Neotropic Cormorant (on right) - Florian Diamante wetlands, Pelee Island

Soon the Neotropic Cormorant took flight and disappeared to the north, but not before we managed some flight photos. Interestingly, it was carrying a stick as if it was attempting to build a nest somewhere. Neotropic Cormorants are slowly pushing northward but there hasn't been a documented nesting attempt in the province yet, as far as I am aware. 

Neotropic Cormorant - Florian Diamante wetlands, Pelee Island

May 21 was another memorable day on Pelee Island. I led a private tour for two ladies from Toronto and the birds came through for us. Our morning at Fish Point was fantastic. We found a cooperative Olive-sided Flycatcher and heard a Hooded Warbler near the parking area, managed spectacular views of a Prothonotary Warbler, discovered a migrant Northern Mockingbird at the tip, found a roosting Nelson's Gull (hybrid Great Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull), and scored obligatory White-eyed Vireos and American White Pelicans. The shorebirding was excellent as well. 

Ruddy Turnstone - Fish Point, Pelee Island

We ventured up to Lighthouse Point at the northeast corner of the island and one of the first birds we found was a singing male Prothonotary Warbler. Though a small colony of them nest at Fish Point, it is unusual to find migrant Prothonotary Warblers elsewhere on the island.

Prothonotary Warbler - Lighthouse Point, Pelee Island

Our next stop was the Florian Diamante wetlands and I re-found the Neotropic Cormorant! It had gone undetected since May 10, but here it was, in the exact same location, a week and a half later. As far as I am aware, these were the only two sightings of this individual. When it was all said and done the three of us finished with well over 100 species on the day. 

Tree Swallow - Fish Point, Pelee Island

Fish Point is a dynamic birding spot early in the mornings, but I made an extra effort this year to venture down there each evening as well. Often, I was the only birder (or person) present. Warblers, flycatchers, vireos and other songbirds frequently forage down low on the west side of the point, while a large contingent of gulls, terns and shorebirds often roost on the tip or offshore sandbar. 

Eastern Kingbirds - Fish Point, Pelee Island

One evening, I watched a Black Tern join a foraging flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, lit up beautifully in the evening sun. American White Pelicans often fly past, and the chance of a rarity remains sky-high, though I did not find one this spring. Still, those evenings at Fish Point were hard to beat. ​

Looking south towards Ohio - Fish Point, Pelee Island

Sanderlings - Fish Point, Pelee Island

Philadelphia Vireo - Fish Point, Pelee Island

American White Pelican - Fish Point, Pelee Island

Accommodations are limited on Pelee Island. There are several cottages for rent, while The Wandering Dog Inn also has rooms (they come highly recommended from me; I've stayed where while leading tours for Quest in the past). I typically stay at the East Park Campground where one can fall asleep to the sounds of Great Horned and Eastern Screech Owls. This year I set up my moth light at my campsite one evening. The mothing was a bit slow and I did not keep it running late enough to attract more biodiversity. 

Mothing at East Park Campground, Pelee Island

Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops) - East Park Campground, Pelee Island

I spent some time driving around the back roads of Pelee Island, hoping for a lucky Gray Fox sighting. I have lucked into seeing this species in the past, though I struck out in 2025. This is the only place in southern Ontario where Gray Foxes can be found. 

When driving along these roads, Ring-necked Pheasants and Wild Turkeys are both common sightings. The pheasants are stocked on the island each year and pheasant hunting is big business. 

Ring-necked Pheasant - Stone Road Alvar, Pelee Island

Driving these back roads is a great way to encounter snakes as well. Most will inevitably be Eastern Garter Snakes and a healthy proportion of them will be of the all-black "melanistic" form which makes up over 30 % of the garter snake population on Pelee Island. If you are lucky, you may find a Blue Racer or Eastern Foxsnake crossing the road as well. I found this Eastern Foxsnake when returning to the campground one evening. 

Eastern Foxsnake - Pelee Island

I think I will end this post here. I am already looking forward to my inevitable visit to Pelee Island next spring! Please do reach out if you are interested in a private tour for the spring of 2026; I think you will fall in love with Pelee Island. 

Eastern Foxsnake - Pelee Island