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POINT PELEE

Spring birding trips

April 29 - May 17, 2012

A few images from the past two spring seasons: left to right, from top to bottom: 

AMERICAN REDSTART male, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER male, 

PROTHONOTARY WARBLER male, KIRTLAND'S WARBLER first spring male, 

AMERICAN PAINTED LADY, and water droplets on MAYAPPLE. 

About Tom's spring birding tours...

Once again in 2012, Tom is working in partnership with the Comfort Inn in Leamington, Ontario. Guests of the Comfort Inn who participate in Tom's 2012 spring hikes get discounts on  accommodations! 

The Pelee peninsula is renowned as the best migration hotspot in inland North America. Tom takes great pleasure in bringing you the wonders of a Pelee spring birding adventure. Even as an experienced world birder and guide, birding the trails of Point Pelee in May still gets his blood going!  Tom has had the joy of birding this magical place for 39 of the last 40 spring migrations. He was also lucky enough to work at the national park for over a decade, and this has added to a wealth of personal experience on many aspects of the parks natural and cultural history. In 1999, Tom authored the definitive "Birders Guide to Point Pelee and surrounding area". This book provides comprehensive information on the birds and birding sites of the region (available for purchase on this website).

Where do the day trips go?

The focus of these day trips will be Point Pelee National Park. However, depending upon where activity occurs, we may include other sites on the Pelee peninsula (ie. Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, the Onion Fields, Wheatley Harbour and Wheatley Provincial Park). Tom keeps connected to other local birders and guides to make sure the daily itinerary delivers the best experience possible for participants. For participants who book multiple days, we will attempt to vary the daily itinerary to showcase as many local sites as possible.

How big is the group?

To ensure that every participant gets a high quality experience, the group size is limited to 8 participants each day. 

Who are the hikes appropriate for?

The hikes are appropriate for birders of all levels from those who have never birded before to those with a casual interest to experienced birders with a target list. The focus of the hikes to give everyone repeated good views of spring songbirds. Even on wooded trails I nearly always bring a scope to ensure the best viewing possible. Binoculars are available for loan to those who need them.

When are the hikes offered?

The hikes are offered Sunday through Thursday from April 29 - May 17th inclusive. The specific dates are April 29, 30, May 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Hikes depart from the Comfort Inn at 6 am sharp and return each day by 4:30 pm. Participants should meet in the lobby of the Comfort Inn at 5:55 am. Please note that there are no hikes on Friday and Saturday May 4, 5, 11, and 12.

You will note that I dont offer hikes every day. I will be happy to provide details on where to bird and what to do on those days between hikes. For example, nearby Rondeau Provincial Park which is about an hour drive away offers a slightly different experience and adds to the variety of your visit. In addition, there are fourteen different local wineries close by, if that is of interest. 

What is the cost?

The cost per person is $99 Canadian per day, plus applicable tax. 

What is included?

The above rate includes: guiding each day by Tom Hince, a hearty picnic lunch, morning and afternoon coffee breaks and snacks, cold beverages, checklist of birds, and a significantly discount on the purchase of Tom's book (A Birders Guide to Point Pelee). The first six participants to sign up each day will also be offered ground transport with Tom in his minivan, and entrance fees to Point Pelee National Park, or Hillman Marsh Conservation Area or Wheatley Provincial Park if these sites are visited. In addition, the Comfort Inn offers a special discounted rate on accommodations for clients booking Tom's hikes (use code LBIRD when booking online). 

How to book?

Accommodations and hikes must be booked and paid for separately. 

To reserve accommodations, please contact the Comfort Inn in Leamington via www.choicehotels.ca  and mention that you are booking one of Tom Hinces hikes. There is a special reservation code for on line reservations (LBIRD). If there is no space available on line, please try contacting the hotel directly by phone and mention that you are also booking a tour with Tom. This may help to get space reserved, or possibly to get you waitlisted. 

To reserve hike space (first come, first served and strictly limited to 8 per day), please email Tom at peleetom@netcore.ca or call/leave a message at 586 839-7482. 

A few additional details:

The Comfort Inn is in Leamington and is about a ten minute drive from the park gates. On free days, you would need a vehicle to get to birding sites and Point Pelee due to the distance between birding sites. 

The nearest airports to Leamington are Windsor (about 45 minutes from town, or an hour from the park and serviced by Air Canada) or London (about an hour and a half drive from Leamington and serviced by both Air Canada and Westjet). They both have car rental agencies. If flying from the US, you will likely find it easiest to fly into Detroit (DTW) which is about an hour and forty minutes drive from Leamington. 

Additional Questions?

I'm sure I've forgotten some important details, so please don't hesitate to give me a call, or drop me an email (I read my email every few hours during the workday). You can contact me at (586) 839-7482 or peleetom@netcore.ca

TOM'S HOME PAGE        POINT PELEE MAY 2012      NEWFOUNDLAND July 2012      SOUTH AFRICA Sep/Oct 2012   

   VENEZUELA FEB 2013       BRAZIL PART 1 MARCH 2013       POINT PELEE MAY 2013      CANADIAN PRAIRIES JUNE 2013      AUSTRALIA OCT/NOV 2013 

TANZANIA APRIL 2014       POINT PELEE MAY 2014        YUKON & DAWSON HIGHWAY JUNE 2014      BRAZIL PART 2 AUGUST 2014