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travel / adventure zone
| The Adventure Zone |
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As the intoxicating sound of birdsong fills the air,
thousands of birdwatchers, life lists in hand, will
flock to Point Pelee National Park from April 25 through
May 26, for the park's annual Festival of Birds.
At a mere 20 square kilometres, the "tiny oasis of
green" is one of Canada's smallest national parks but
a major flyway for North America's migratory birds.
The northern remnant of the broad band of deciduous
forest that runs from the Carolinas to southwestern
Ontario, the park sits at the tip of a peninsula that
juts out into Lake Erie and which represents the southern
most point of the country's mainland. A patchwork of
marshes, swamps, forests, lake and beaches, it supports
one of the country's few surviving stands of Carolinian
deciduous forest, populated by such traditionally southern
species as the hackaberry, shagbark hickory, black walnut,
red mulberry and swamp white oak.
The Festival of Birds takes full advantage of the synchronicity
of season and habitat. Rich with opportunities for birders
to spot some of the park's 370-plus bird species, the
festival offers affordable daily hikes led by expert
birders, with French-language hikes offered on Saturday
and Sunday mornings from May 3 to 18. The Visitor Centre
serves as the festival hot spot, offering speakers and
programs on the unique natural history of the region
as well as regular updates on important sightings. There
are early-bird breakfasts, barbecue lunches, bus tours
of the area and Bushnell-sponsored clinics where you
can "test drive the latest in birding optics."
Hoping to add the elusive prothonotary warbler to your
list? Try your luck at this year's Festival of Birds.
With hiking space limited, organizers recommend registering
early by calling the Friends of Point Pelee
at 519-326-6173 or e-mail fopp@wincom.net.
For more information, visit www.pc.gc/pn-np/on/pelee/ne/ne4_e.asp
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