The Pipits: Mark Calhoun's guide to Long Point birding

[Colleen Reilly]

Hello Pipits!

I wanted to share this fantastic article written by Mark Calhoun! This is from Into the Wild with Mark Calhoun, a page on Facebook, where he shares adventure stories and beautiful photos, and other lore.

Enjoy!

I put a screenshot of Marks Facebook page below the story...

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Long Point 

Sue and I choose a location to go birding for a week every fall and this year Sue picked the Long Point area. I thoroughly loved it and will share in this post my birding strategy of the many places we visited.

To start, we camped in the " new" Long Point Provincial Park and had a site very close to the beach. The weather to start was wet windy and very wet.  So it was a challenge to say the least. The sun did come out on the last couple of days but the temp remained unseasonbly cool.

Long Point is very well known as a natural Hotspot world wide. In fact it is likely second on the list to Point Pelee. A combination of Canadian Wildlife Service, Provincial Park and Nature Conservancy of Canada lands have preserved large tracts of Carolinian Forests, wetlands and sandy beaches. Long Point itself is a 40 km spit jutting out into Lake Erie providing unique habitat on a busy migration route.

I do need to give a shout out to two specific books which acted as a guide for our time here. Long Point is not a single location. Knowing where and when to visit the best locations is important to optimize your time here. Firstly A Guide to the Long Point Area by Ron Ridout is a must. I purchased this book at the Long Point Bird Observatory at Old Cut. I highly recommend this book. Secondly Best Places To Bird In Ontario by Mike Burrell and Kenneth Burrell.  This book gives you great insight in birding the Long Point area. I have enclosed a Pic of both books.

Long Point Spit

This is over 40 km long and is the largest fresh water sand spit in the world. Adjacent to this spit is the Big Creek Marsh which is one of Southern Ontario's largest remaining wetlands. At the very tip is the oldest bird banding stations in North America. Unfortunately for the Park visitor access to much of the tip is off limits. It owned by a private hunting club and Parks Canada which has denied access.  However you can still enjoy productive birding in Long Point Provincial Park, and enjoy the beach and surrounding wetlands. I was able to enjoy many hours all to myself.  There were many Yellow Rumped Warblers, White Throated Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrow and Blackbird flocks in the thousands. As well we saw an immature Bald Eagle and many Northern Harriers over the Marsh. This is also an excellent location to experience Hawkwatch though the winds were not condusive during our week. 

Old Cut Bird Observatory 

This was my favorite place. I had visited Old Cut many many years ago as a young birder and wow have things changed. The cottages that were once sparse shacks have gentrified into substantial cottages. However, the Field Station and adjacent property remains the same. The Long Point Bird Observatory has a field station located here, open to the public. Here you can visit the bird banding operation and see first hand the banding process. Banding occurs April to early June and again mid August through mid November.  It is open to the public from 8am to noon daily.  From mid September they conduct Northern Saw Whet Owl banding. Again open to the public beginning at 7pm. 

At the field station one can purchase Birds Canada  shirts and hats which proceeds go to funding this great program.

The property on which Old Cut sits is a remarkable Hotspot for birds. We also saw a Fox Snake while here which was very special as well. This property has trails in which you can explore and can be very productive. In fact a staggering 330 species have been found here including many very rare sigtings.  In spring it can be dripping in birds and a 25 Warbler species day is not uncommon. This Old Cut Hotspot includes a small observation deck overlooking the Marsh and a dyke which I recommend visiting. 

Old Cut is my personal favorite location in Long Point. 

Birds Canada Headquarters 

This 13 hectares property is home to Birds Canada  and most of the research that many of us Citizen Science volunteers conduct. It is a worthwhile stop as the property has been groomed to provide excellent habitats.  Part of the trail system visits a view  of the Inner Bay which is very worthwhile.  This vantage point gives great views of the Bay and an opportunity to see the thousands upon thousands of waterfowl that stage here spring and fall. We saw hundreds of Ruddy Ducks which I have never seen this species in such large numbers. This location is a prime place to view the  Tundra Swan and Sandhill Crane migrations and witness these magnificent birds in the thousands. 

Pay special attention to the 6 utility poles erected throughout the property.  They have been erected to provide a roost for raptors. Eleven Hawk species and three Owl species have been seen using these poles  including Short Eared Owl and Long Eared Owl. 

Big Creek Wildlife Management Area 

As you enter the Long Point causeway on Highway 59 you will see the Canadian Wildlife Management building which has a visitors parking lot and trail. This trail follows 2km of pathway visiting two observation decks. The Big Creek Wildlife Management Area is a very large wetland and a very important habitat for wetland breeding Birds and  staging migratory Birds. This is a great place to see the 1000s of Tundra Swans in early spring and late fall. An evening stroll on this pathway will be a great opportunity to hear wetland species such as Common Gallinule, Virginia Rail, Sora, American Coot, Pied Billed Grebe and maybe even a King Rail. American and Least Bittern can be found here as well. This is also a breeding location for Black Tern. 

Backus Woods

This is a location best to be visited in Spring. I will be visiting Backus Woods in 2025 and will provide a detailed post at that time.

Backus Woods is approximately 500 hectares of mostly old growth Carolinian Forests.  It is owned for the most part by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. It is one of Canada's last remaining and largest forests of Carolinian habitats remaining. 

It is home to 11 species at risk who breed in this forest including such species as Hooded Warbler, Prothonatory Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush and Acadian Flycatcher. 

It should also be noted that this is the location of the Wild Turkey reintroduction to Ontario. This is one of Ontario's most wildly successful wildlife management stories. A Cairn can be found at Backus Woods commemorating this success story.

Again, I will complete a detailed Backus Woods post in Spring of 2025.

I give the Long Point area an enthusiastic two thumbs up and it should be high on every birders destination bucket lists.

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[Mary Ellen Starodub]

Thanks Colleen for the info from Mark Calhoun. Long Point is a special place.

Many winters ago on  February weekend I met up with you and some Pipits near Bacvhus woods to see the thousands of Sandhill Cranes in migration as well as Tundra Swans and  a good variety of ducks.

Cheers,

Mary Ellen 

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