Fewer birds for 46th Annual Waterfowl Weekend

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DAVID LECLAIR

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FOR POSTMEDIA

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The mild winter and seeming early spring delivered a lack of ice to channel the waterfowl this year, putting a slight damper on the 46th Annual Waterfowl Weekend at Presqu’ile Provincial Park if compared to previous years of the annual nature event that many bird lovers and nature enthusiasts from across Southern Ontario attend.

According to park naturalists, many birds this year started their migration journeys early in the year, meaning many flocks of waterfowl have already made their annual pass of Presqu’ile, some continuing much further north. Some waterfowl can travel up to 800km in a single day. Chief Park Naturalist Kristen Osborne said that the peak of the migration happened in February this year.

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Friends of Presqu’ile Provincial Park held a fundraising BBQ over the two days at the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre. The organization was serving up hamburgers, hotdogs, peameal on a bun, and other items. The lighthouse gift shop and the Parks Nature Centre were also open, allowing families to pass through and fill out an activity sheet around facts they learned.

Attendees were catching the best views using binoculars. Park staff members were located at viewing areas at the lighthouse and Calf Pasture with park naturalists to assist and educate people while they viewed passing birds through the viewing scopes.

The best views were from the lighthouse, the viewing deck near the camp office, the Owen Point Trail, the Marsh Boardwalk Trail lookout, and the Calf Pasture.

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Baxter Naday, a long-time returning volunteer at Presqu’ile Provincial Park, explained that ice conditions determine waterfowl weekend conditions. This year, the birds are scattered throughout the lake without ice in the bay. “We had a large raft of ducks earlier today, but they were probably about a kilometre and a half out in the lake. We only realized how large the flock was when a boat went through; it looked like a couple thousand,” Naday explained.

Bev Cook, chair of the communications committee of Friends of Presqu’ile Provincial Park, has been involved with Waterfowl Weekend since moving to Brighton from Ottawa 14 years ago. Cook expressed that Presqu’ile was why her family relocated to Brighton. “I was looking for an organization to volunteer with, and somebody introduced me to the Friends of Presqu’ile. Here I am,” Cook stated.

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“What waterfowl weekend means is to show the public that Presqu’ile Provincial Park is more than a beach; it’s an important flyway,” expressed Cook.

Janis and Philip Niblett from Brighton have been attending Waterfowl Weekend at Presqu’ile Provincial Park for many years and were at the park on Sunday for a viewing. Mrs. Niblett explained that there seem to be fewer birds each year because of climate change and milder winters, but the couple still enjoys attending the annual event.

The Ontario Park is at the intersection of two flyways for the migration of waterfowl and songbirds, which typically follow later in the season. Traditionally, most birds stop at Presqu’ile Provincial Park to rest and refuel before continuing or staying in the park for the season. Presqu’ile is the first spot of land for birds coming this way, Cook explained, making it a spectacular place to view the birds during migration.

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The park has a vast ecosystem, and throughout different areas, there is lots of food for the hungry waterfowl to refuel. Weather and wind patterns play a hand in determining when the fowl will choose to migrate. Birds typically passing by will stay in the park for a few days until the weather and wind are in their favour. The birds do not just fuel up overnight; they need a few days to recharge. They are hungry, thirsty, and tired, just like the rest of us when we travel that far,” Cook said, laughing during an interview.

With the early spring, some songbirds are already in the park. Warblers and Whimbrels, a weekend celebration of songbirds, is coming up on Victoria Day Weekend in May at Presqu’ile Provincial Park, and the public is invited to join. For more information, visit friendsofpresquile.on.ca

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