****** Forwarded Message Follows ******* Hello All, Welcome to the 2003 Point Pelee Festival of Birds. We will be sending daily updates to Ontbirds from now through May 26. Cool temperatures and north winds meant that there were few new migrants in the park today, although a forecasted change to southwest winds for tonight and tomorrow could lead to an influx of birds. Migrants present in the park over the past few days include: White-throated Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets singing actively, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped, Palm, Pine, Black-throated Green and Nashville Warblers, a single Blackburnian Warbler, Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, and Cliff and Rough-winged Swallows. Large flocks of Surf Scoters, along with a few Black and White-winged have been seen off the tip. A Northern Goshawk was seen this morning at the tip and one adult and one immature Bald Eagle were soaring over the Visitor's Centre. Good birding! John Haselmayer, Karl Konze, Dave Martin, Pete Read, Alan Wormington Staff, Friends of Point Pelee ************************************************************************ Birding Events - April 26 to May 26 To register, please call the Friends of Point Pelee at 519-326-6173, fax 519-326-7925 or email fopp@wincom.net. For general park information, please call 519-322-2365 Birding Hikes Hike space is limited. Pre-registration is recommended and is payable by Visa or MasterCard. Daily hikes leave from 'Carlos the Cardinal' in the transit loop. Evening hikes leave from the DeLaurier parking lot. $10/person, maximum 12 participant/hike. All hikes are 2 hours long. Daily Hikes - April 26 to May 19 at 7:30 am, 8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm - May 20 to May 26 at 8:30 am and 1:30 pm - French hikes offered at 8:30 am on weekends May 3 to May 18 - An additional 10:30 hike will be offered on May 3&4 and 10&11 through Quest Nature Tours Evening Hikes - Thursday through Saturday, May 1 to 17 at 7 pm - Meet at DeLaurier parking lot Hot Spot County Bus Tours - Join 2 leaders generously provided by Quest Nature Tours on a bus generously provided by Bushnell Performance Optics for a 2-hour tour of the Point Pelee Birding Area. - Saturday May 3 & 10 at 9 am, 11:30 am and 2 pm - $15/person, maximum 22 participants For other events, please visit our website at www.wincom.net/~fopp/ --- Mark Cranford ONTBIRDS Coordinator Mississauga, Ontario Mark.Cranford@ofo.ca 905 279 9576 Mark Cranford <mark.cranford@ofo.ca> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.