Bruce

Point Pelee and Beyond!

I’m not sure I mentioned last week that this current road trip was courtesy of our wonderful children, commemorating our upcoming 50th anniversary. They offered us a choice of three interesting trips, and Cherryl immediately expressed her desire to choose the birding trip to Point Pelee. In case you’re not familiar with Point Pelee, that’s the southernmost point of Canada, in Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie. September is prime bird migration time, and routes fly right over this long narrow point, as the last land before flying over Lake Erie.

Our first stop on the way to Ontario was in Joliet, just southwest of Chicago. [You can see that part here] We zoomed on eastward, passing just under Detroit, and over the Ambassador Bridge into Canada. Point Pelee is not too far further…

We arrived at this little home, right on the shore. It might look old on the outside, but it has been remodeled and quite nice inside. The kitchen had very high end appliances, including a wine cooler. (Just what we needed!) The bathroom seemed to be a bedroom remodeled into that purpose – crazy big. The big draw, of course, was the proximity to the water. (Oh yeah… the hot tub was nice too!)

A side view of a white, two-story house with a sloped roof, featuring multiple windows and a porch area. The yard is well-kept with shrubbery and a stone pathway leading to a fenced area. A large tree is visible on the right side, and the background hints at a water source beyond the fence.
A serene lakeside view at dusk, featuring rocky shoreline with waves gently lapping against the rocks, and a colorful sky transitioning from blue to orange as the sun sets.

We hired a bird guide, and met him early in the morning just inside the Point Pelee National Park. We enjoyed the view of the marshlands from an observation tower.

Sunset view over a marsh with tall grass in the foreground, featuring a wooden observation tower and a boardwalk leading into the water.
A scenic marsh landscape at sunset, featuring a winding wooden walkway crossing over calm waters and lush green vegetation.

Doesn’t this look like an arial view of some canyons in Moab? It’s actually bark of a tree very popular in the area. The very deep grooves in the bark let vines snuggle in and grow way up the tree.

Close-up of textured tree bark with grooves and ridges, showcasing natural patterns and colors.
Hackberry?

The trees also provide good exploration areas for spiders!

A dense forest scene showing tall trees, some with rough bark, and fallen logs on the ground, surrounded by green foliage.
A close-up of a spider on a tree trunk, surrounded by natural foliage.
A close-up of a spider on a textured tree trunk, with sunlight filtering through the foliage in the background.

A nicely wooded trail eventually opens out onto beach as you approach the tip of the point.

A person standing on rocks near a lake, looking out at the water with a clear blue sky in the background.
A person standing on a sandy beach near the water, joyfully waving their arms. The coastline extends in the background with other individuals walking along the shore.
Looking out to the point
A tranquil beach scene showcasing a sandy shore with gentle waves lapping at the water's edge, bordered by lush greenery and driftwood.
Looking back towards mainland

Jeremy, our birding guide, is very knowledgeable and taught us lots about the area and its birds. He is also a field guide for Swarovski – a company that if not the best optics in the world, is one of the best. He offered us the use of some Swarovski binoculars, and took a couple of his Swarovski scopes along, too. I have to admit that the binoculars were awesome- very sharp and clear. I liked the way they felt in my hands, too. But I have too much Scottish blood in my veins to get excited about the $4,000 price tag! It was fun to play with them for a day!

Jeremy [peleebirding.com] is a wealth of knowledge, and taught us about a lot of birds, especially warblers. We added 19 new species to our life lists! Cherryl was really hoping to see and learn about warblers, so the fact that they made up a lot of the new birds was extra fun! Also Jeremy was great guy to spend the day with!

At this point, we were the southernmost people in mainland Canada! (That allows for some folks on Pelee Island, a wee bit further south in Lake Erie.)

Two people on a beach: one man looking surprised while the other woman adjusts a spotting scope on a tripod, with the ocean in the background.
Two people standing on a sandy beach near the water; one is holding binoculars and a camera while the other holds binoculars. A scenic shoreline and trees can be seen in the background.

Plenty of gulls were south of us…

A sandy shoreline extending into calm waters, with a clear sky above and scattered birds along the coast.

We actually let another couple walk past us, effectively usurping our title as the southernmost in Canada!

A sandy pathway extending into the water, with two figures walking in the distance on the shore.
Southernmost people in Canada
A man and a woman standing on a sandy beach with a camera and a spotting scope, surrounded by water and a clear blue sky.
Us posing with expensive gear

Butterflies were easier to photograph than birds! This one liked me.

A person with a gray shirt and a wide-brimmed hat stands outdoors with a butterfly resting on their shoulder.
A butterfly resting on the shoulder of a person wearing a gray sweatshirt.

Ed DeLaurier lived in this house from 1885 to 1969. It is now a rustic museum, and in the middle of the National Park.

A rustic wooden barn surrounded by greenery, with a gravel path leading up to it.
Two people walking along a wooden path towards a log cabin surrounded by greenery.
A rustic wooden cabin with a weathered exterior, featuring a porch with a wooden walkway, surrounded by greenery and trees.
An old, rusty farming machine overgrown with plants, abandoned on a gravel path in a forested area.
Side view of a weathered wooden building surrounded by green foliage and a gravel path.
Close-up of a corner of a wooden log cabin showing the texture of the logs and a wooden door on the side.

We explored a nice boardwalk…

A wooden walkway curves through a lush green forest, surrounded by trees and foliage under a clear blue sky.
A thistle plant with vibrant purple flowers and spiky green buds, surrounded by lush green foliage.
Close-up of vibrant orange and red spotted flowers hanging from green leaves, with droplets of water visible.

And other trails.

Scenic landscape featuring a calm river surrounded by lush greenery and blue sky with scattered clouds.
Two people walking along a gravel path by a riverbank, surrounded by trees and vegetation under a clear blue sky.

Here is an iPhone picture of a Heron taken through the Swarovski scope. The green on the left is from leaves obstructing our view.

A heron standing in a marshy area, surrounded by greenery and water plants.

Out in the middle of nowhere, we came upon this phone! It turned out to not be wired into the rest of the world, but a way to “talk” to someone who wasn’t with you… maybe say something you never got to say… Sounds rather like prayer.

A sign titled 'The Wind Phone' next to a black payphone, set in a natural environment with greenery, instructing visitors on how to use it to connect with loved ones who are not physically present.
A man standing at a bench under a wooden pergola along a trail surrounded by greenery and trees on a sunny day.

Frogs are also easier to photograph than birds!

A close-up view of a green and brown frog resting among green grass and leaves.

Jack Miner was a naturalist interested in birds and their migration. Living in the major migration pathway, Miner wanted to know where they all flew. (Like the Miner/major juxtaposition?) In 1909, he started catching and banding birds, and is considered one of the pioneers of bird banding studies. The following year, one of his banded ducks was shot in North Carolina, and the hunter sent the band back to Jack. This is accepted as the first band-catch-return in the world. Another interesting feature was that he put Bible verses on his bird bands.

This home was his base, where he caught and banded countless thousands of birds. His logbook records one record day of banding – over 1,700 birds!

A brick house with a green roof and ramp leading to the entrance, surrounded by lawn and garden plants.

The interior looks like a comfortable home from the 20’s, with nice wood everywhere. He was a fan of Thomas Edison, and featured his portrait prominently in the living room. I liked the photo on the mantle, of Jack gazing at Edison.

A cozy dining room featuring a wooden table set with a light-colored tablecloth, surrounded by wooden chairs. The room is illuminated by a decorative chandelier with floral lampshades. In the background, large windows provide a view of a lake and green trees, while wooden cabinets display decorative items and glassware.
A wooden display cabinet with glass doors showcasing intricate china dishes and teacups, topped with a decorative bird figure and oil lamps.
Antique fireplace mantel with a portrait, photographs, and vintage decor items.
A shelf display featuring a portrait of a distinguished older man, a framed historical photograph of a person by a fireplace, a carved owl statue, and a vintage clock, set against a yellow wall.
Early “Picture in a Picture”

The Kingsville train station once looked like the picture below:

A detailed illustration of the Kingsville train station, featuring a stone building with a peaked roof, surrounded by railway tracks and a cloudy sky.

When the trains stopped running, and the tracks were removed, the elegant old station fell into disrepair.

A dilapidated stone building with a partially collapsed roof, showing exposed beams and broken windows, surrounded by overgrown vegetation.

Then some enlightened folks restored the station, and made a beautiful restaurant. The Mettawas Mediterranean Restaurant serves up delicious dinners… A great meal tastes even better inside beautiful architecture!

View of a rustic stone building with a sloped roof, surrounded by greenery and outdoor seating.

Our little “home” at the edge of Point Pelee was actually on the edge of Leamington. Leamington is known for its greenhouses. The area pioneered the use of greenhouses, and now has the largest concentration of commercial greenhouses in all of North America, with 1,969 acres of greenhouse vegetable production. In 1908 Heinz opened the first greenhouse to raise tomatoes. For over 100 years, they grew tomatoes for Heinz – now it is owned by a different company, but still raises tomatoes for Heinz. There are more greenhouses in the area than Starbucks in Seattle!  Major products of the greenhouse industry, in addition to tomatoes, are peppers, cannabis, cucumbers, roses, and other flowers. Yes, Cannabis is legal here. Historically, tobacco was an important crop in the area, but tobacco production declined in the 1960s and today is virtually nonexistent. Interesting.

Below are a bunch of drive-by photos, just to give you an idea of the number of HUGE greenhouses in the area.

A modern building partially obscured by trees, situated on a grassy landscape next to a road under a cloudy sky.
A view of a large greenhouse complex with multiple structures, set against a cloudy sky, featuring a well-maintained grassy area and a parked car.
A rural scene featuring a greenhouse structure, several parked cars, and trees along a gravel driveway. The background shows large agricultural buildings under a cloudy sky.
A white farmhouse next to large greenhouse structures under a cloudy sky, with green grass and trees in the foreground.
A rural scene featuring a green lawn with a house on the right, large agricultural buildings and silos in the background, and cloudy skies.
A grassy field with a row of evergreen trees, a brick house on the right, and greenhouses in the distance under a cloudy sky.
A view of a rural area featuring a white house with a gray roof, surrounded by trees, and large greenhouses in the background.
A greenhouse complex with large glass structures is located next to a brown brick house, set against a cloudy sky and green grass.
A greenhouse structure alongside a road, with a nearby white house and landscaped area featuring bushes and rocks under a cloudy sky.
An open field lined with trees, featuring a gravel path and a small produce stand with a red umbrella selling tomatoes, with a greenhouse visible in the background.
A grassy area with several trees and a greenhouse in the background under a cloudy sky.
A view of a grassy area with several trees, leading towards a large greenhouse structure in the background under a cloudy sky.
A view of a greenhouse facility from the roadside, featuring large glass structures, grassy areas, and trees, under a cloudy sky.
A large, modern greenhouse with a reflective glass exterior, situated on a grassy area next to a road. A black car is seen driving by, and there are a few trees and buildings in the background under a cloudy sky.

A nice sunset on our last night in Point Pelee.

A serene sunset over a calm lake, with the sun reflecting on the water and silhouetted rocks in the foreground.

We drove a couple hours east along the coast to Long Point. Here we had a rather quirky old house, right on the edge of a marina.

A blue Tesla parked on a gravel driveway next to a house surrounded by greenery and cloudy skies.
A scenic view of a marina with multiple boats docked along a calm waterway, surrounded by greenery and a gravel path. A person in white clothing is walking along the path.
“Our” house in background
View of a marina with several boats docked on calm water, surrounded by greenery and a cloudy sky. In the foreground, there are chairs arranged around a fire pit on a gravel surface.

Long Point is more about beaches than birding. I think it is just a bit east of the concentrated migration pathway over Point Pelee.

A sunny beach scene with people relaxing on the sand and in the water, colorful umbrellas and tents are set up along the shore, with trees in the background.
A sunny beach scene with people relaxing under colorful umbrellas, sandy shoreline, and a body of water in the background.

We enjoyed exploring around, and the pizza at the Old Cut Dairy Bar & Pizza Co. was so good we went back another day! (We only indulged in the Ice Cream once.) Not only was the pizza great, but the tables dockside were fun.

A black boat with a cover docked at a wooden pier alongside a calm river, with Canadian flags and lush greenery in the background under a clear blue sky.
A wooden dock by a calm waterway featuring a large pizza sign and several white Adirondack chairs arranged neatly along the edge.

I looked up info on the nice lighthouse and came up with this. It also explains the name of “Old Cut” for the area.

Old Cut Lighthouse on Long Point used to be an actual lighthouse back when there was an actual passageway THROUGH the Long Point Peninsula. Storms and natural silting filled in the lake side of the channel by 1895, and the bay side was completely sealed off in 1906, ending Long Point’s brief history as an island. Now it’s a beautifully restored vacation home.

A white lighthouse with a red roof situated in a lush green landscape, surrounded by trees and grass under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A white lighthouse with a red top stands beside a house, surrounded by lush greenery and colorful shrubs under a clear blue sky.

We saw plenty of marshlands with ducks, herons and Trumpeter Swans.

A tranquil wetland scene featuring swans and ducks swimming among green reeds and lily pads under a partly cloudy sky.

Evenings were nice for walking around the marinas near our place.

A serene marina at sunset with several boats docked along a calm waterway, framed by trees and a hazy sky.
A tranquil lakeside scene at sunset, featuring a docked boat, lush greenery, and a seating area with wooden chairs around a fire pit.
A serene sunset over a calm body of water, with vibrant orange and yellow hues reflecting on the surface. Silhouettes of trees and rocks in the foreground enhance the natural beauty of the scene.

Behind our house was this receptacle for MNRF DCR’s and TPR’s. I had no idea what that’s about! So I used my AI buddies to research it… It seems it’s about Daily Catch Reports for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Commercial fishermen need to file reports and they can do it here. I think the trash can under the collection box is just for trash. Aren’t you glad you now know all this?

A serene lakeside scene featuring a dock with various boats, a cozy cabin with a red roof, and lush greenery under a clear blue sky.
A brown trash bin with a mounted collection box on a post, featuring a label that reads 'MNRF DCR's and TPR's' in a grassy area near a house.
A narrow dirt trail winding through a lush green forest, surrounded by trees and yellowing foliage.

While driving around, we came on a very strange little cemetery. A couple dozen headstones, all placed tightly together in two rows. They seemed to be from late 1800’s and early 1900’s. I’m guessing the markers were moved here to preserve them, while somebody planted his farm over actual grave sites. Weird!

A weathered gravestone with the inscription for George Winslow, located in a grassy area.
Weathered gravestone of John A. Underhill, who died on July 18, 1915, at the age of 26 years, located in a grassy area.
A weathered gravestone in a cemetery, partially covered in moss, with inscribed text indicating the name and dates of a person buried there.
A historic cemetery with several gravestones arranged in a line, accompanied by a sign that reads 'Morden Cemetery,' surrounded by lush greenery.

The Birds Canada park had some beautiful walkways, lots of nice flowers, and not many birds. There were water birds at a pond, but mostly it was a walk in a gorgeous park.

Sign for Birds Canada with a depiction of birds and the organization's name in English and French against a blue sky.
A scenic pathway surrounded by greenery and wildflowers under a clear blue sky.
A scenic pathway surrounded by lush greenery under a clear blue sky.
A sunlit pathway surrounded by lush greenery, leading towards an open field under a clear blue sky.
Close-up of two purple flowers with long petals surrounded by green foliage.
Close-up of a vibrant purple thistle flower with spiky green buds surrounded by green foliage.
A metal sculpture resembling an armillary sphere, standing on a large rock, surrounded by greenery and a pathway in a park setting.
Cool Sundial
A close-up of a light purple flower with elongated petals, surrounded by green grass and foliage, with a small insect on the flower.
A close-up of a large yellow flower with a bumblebee gathering nectar, surrounded by other yellow flowers and green foliage.

Another bird preserve had a visiting squirrel with a white tipped tail. I thought we’d seen some new species (to us) of squirrel, but we only saw the one with the white tail. Others had solid black tails as expected… I decided he was just a partial albino…

A black squirrel climbing on a stack of stones amidst lush green foliage.
A cardinal bird perched near a stone structure covered with greenery.
A tranquil lakeside scene at sunset, showcasing vibrant orange and pink hues in the sky, reflecting on the calm water's surface, with silhouetted plants and rocks in the foreground.

One last shot of a Heron, very nicely posing very near us.

A silhouette of a heron standing in shallow water with tall grasses reflected in the calm surface.

On our way home, we drove through a lot of rain. I shot this photo of the car’s info screen. Maybe I’ll explain some of the screen for you… We can overlay a weather map over our route, to make us fret about how much more rain we will encounter. The box at the bottom says our next stop is Moline, IL, in one hour 44 minutes, and we will arrive with 18% of battery. The far bottom right says we are currently at Morris, IL, on I-80 westbound. On the left side of the screen you see that somehow our speed has crept up to 74 mph, in spite of a 70 limit. (It’s far too easy to do!) You can also see where other cars/trucks are in relation to us, and where we are in our lane. At the bottom you note that my iPhone is connected, and we don’t have a story or music playing. At the top of the screen, you see we are at 62% battery, the car is locked (duh, we’re driving,) it’s not quite 10 am, it’s raining and it’s 72 degrees F. You may also detect the rain by looking out the window. You may also note that I have fun with this portable computer called a Tesla!

Car dashboard displaying navigation and self-driving features with speed showing 74 MPH and weather radar indicating rain.

We made it home through the storm just fine, and were glad to sleep in our own bed!

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