A scarlet tanager.Carolyn Ireland/The Globe and Mail
It’s just after dawn on a foggy morning in early May and I am one of hundreds of birders streaming toward the tip of Point Pelee National Park in Ontario.
Word is already spreading that a “fallout,” is under way as warblers, woodpeckers, thrushes and other birds parachute through the mist. The rare phenomenon occurs when flocks of migrating birds are forced to ground by adverse weather conditions.
Fallouts are amazing to witness, but stressful for the exhausted birds, so ethical birders stay out of their way as the migrants devour midges and spiders and other invertebrates.
A passing friend tells me about seven Cape Mays at the tip, referring to the tiny warbler that is dubbed “the tiger of the woods” for its bold stripes and pugnacious defence of its territory.
A palm warbler.Carolyn Ireland/The Globe and Mail
Palm warblers are hopping on the rocks, northern parulas are hunting for insects in the trees and a scarlet tanager lands high in the canopy. A handful of photographers drop down on the sand to photograph a striking male yellow-rumped warbler foraging on the beach. At the same time, a line of avid birders aim their spotting scopes at the very tip to identify the gulls swirling around.
The migrants arrive from the southernmost point from South America. Some species spread out around Southern Ontario to nest, while others continue to the boreal forests and lakes of the north. Occasionally, a bird that breeds south of the border overshoots its intended territory and ends up at Pelee, to the delight of birders who rush to see the rarity.
Blue grosbeaks, yellow-throated warblers and summer tanagers have all been known to stray too far north.
A common yellow-throated warbler.Carolyn Ireland/The Globe and Mail
Unaware tourists sometimes march out to take selfies at mainland Canada’s southernmost point, so Parks Canada staff have strung a rope across the sand to protect the area. The birds need time to rest and feed.
Each spring, birders from as far as Europe and Asia travel to Point Pelee for this spectacle.
On this morning, the cool, damp weather has forced the birds to land. But even on calm days, a fresh batch of songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl stop to refuel while they make the journey from winter havens in the south to their breeding grounds as far north as Canada’s Arctic tundra.
To understand what makes Point Pelee such a migration hotspot, I talked to veteran birder John Carley, who has been visiting for more than 40 years and rarely misses a morning at the tip in May.
Carley explains that birds flying north across Lake Erie spot the peninsula’s lush Carolinian forest and extensive marsh and see an ideal place for a stopover.
The geography concentrates birds at the narrow end of the V-shaped spit, allowing visitors to see species ranging from tiny golden-crowned kinglets hovering in the treetops to majestic American white pelicans bobbing offshore.
Birders at Point Pelee National Park, on the path to the tip.John Carley/The Globe and Mail
“There’s not an equivalent to Pelee anywhere in the world that I’m aware of,” he says.
The brightly coloured jewels known as new world wood–warblers are the main draw for most birders – especially those from overseas, he adds. “It’s the one place in North America you can see more than 30 species of warbler in one week.”
By the time the mist dissipates, I’ve added eight warbler species, vireos, sandpipers and an indigo bunting to my day’s list. It’s not even 8 a.m.
As the birds replenish their energy, they begin to make their way north through the park, and the birders follow.
I grab a coffee and breakfast at the bustling Visitor Centre and check the whiteboard where notable sightings are constantly updated by the naturalists on standby.
A Louisiana waterthrush is putting on a show in Tilden Woods and a skulking yellow-breasted chat has been spotted in the Cactus Field.
Not far along the footpath to Tilden Woods, I spot a cluster of long lenses pointed into a flooded forest.
A prothonotary warbler.Carolyn Ireland/The Globe and Mail
I hear the focus of their attention before I see it – the prothonotary warbler is staking out his territory with a ringing “sweet sweet sweet sweet!”
For birders, perhaps no sighting at Pelee is more prized than that of this so-called “swamp candle” with yellow plumage so vibrant it glows in the shaded wetland.
Scientists at Birds Canada estimate there are only 10 to 13 breeding pairs of this endangered species in Ontario, and the flooded woodland at Point Pelee is one of the few remaining swathes of habitat they have left.
I’m thrilled with my brief glimpse of this fellow before he heads deeper into the swamp, and I hope for more opportunities in the days ahead.
A rose-breasted grosbeak.Carolyn Ireland/The Globe and Mail
The list swells as I weave my way north: There’s a great-crested flycatcher at Sleepy Hollow, a hotbed of rose-breasted grosbeaks at Madbin Jina and a golden-winged warbler at Sanctuary Pond.
As the afternoon winds down, I meet with friends for the short drive into nearby Leamington. Lake Erie yellow perch is on many menus in town, and a dinner of the local specialty helps my group muster the energy for a stroll on the Marsh Boardwalk at sunset.
Later that night, I once again set my alarm for 5 a.m. The forecast looks promising for a waft of new arrivals at the tip.
If you go
Point Pelee National Park holds a Festival of Birds every year in May. In 2026, the festival runs from May 1-18. The park opens at 5 a.m. and a shuttle from the Visitor Centre to the park’s tip starts at 6 a.m. Group hikes led by zealous guides cost $35 and must be reserved in advance. Daily park admission is $10 for adults. A three-day festival pass costs $41.50 for adults and also includes entry to nearby Hillman Marsh, where the shorebirds gather.
Outside the park gates, the town of Leamington, Ont., offers accommodations ranging from budget motels to short-term rentals and luxury cottages. The drive from downtown Toronto to Point Pelee is approximately three hours and 30 minutes.
