This year’s tour will focus on the 36 species of wood warblers possible in the Bruce Peninsula.  We might even be fortunate enough to find the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler, which has been observed on the Bruce in recent springs.  We will cover several of the best stopover locations, often referred to as “migrant traps,” on the Bruce for warblers and other migrating birds.  These locations include Cabot Head, Greenough Point at Stokes Bay, and the shoreline of Miller Lake.  Although the tour will focus on the wood warblers, other birds will not be ignored.  Participants will learn and practice field identification techniques as well as how to distinguish the songs and calls of warblers and other bird species. Whenever feasible, unusual birds will be located in spotting scopes to facilitate viewing.
During our tour participants will carpool to various locations on the Bruce Peninsula to visit wetland, grassland, alvar and forest habitats. There will be a number of short hikes on local trails so please bring footwear appropriate for spring hiking on rugged terrain. The tour will proceed rain or shine, so be prepared for any weather conditions.

While birds are the focus of our tour we will not completely ignore other wildlife or unusual plants. Spring on the Bruce Peninsula is the perfect time to see beautiful and rare orchids and other wildflowers unique to our region. So be sure to bring your binoculars and field guides to explore Bruce Peninsula's finest nature!

About Our Guides

Michael Carlson has had an interest in birds since the age of seven and has been birding for over 40 years! He is an expert at identifying birds by sight and sound, and has run many very successful spring birding tours on the Bruce. Michael has also been a leader at the Huron Fringe Birding Festival for several years, and was a member of the KOWA Canadian birding team (an honorary Canadian since he is from Michigan!) This team won the World Series of Birding Competition in New Jersey from 1989 to 1992. Michael was a volunteer participant in the 5-year Breeding Bird Atlas of Ontario, and has spent many hours on the Bruce Peninsula surveying the density of birds and looking for evidence of breeding birds. Michael has been visiting our park for a number of years and will amaze you with his avian knowledge!

“We were in awe of your [Michael's] knowledge and dedication to the field. Calling out the rails and explaining their different calls was something I will never forget!” John Ham, participant