Every May, Thousands of Birds Cross Lake Erie. Most People Never See It.
Pointe Peele, Ontario
4 days, 3 nights
May 7 or May 14
Join Rick Szabo for a guided spring migration retreat at one of the best birding spots in North America.
Spring migration only comes once a year.
Let Point Pelee be your front-row seat to one of nature's most spectacular shows.
Each day begins at dawn at one of the finest birding sites in North America.
Each morning you'll stand at the very tip of the peninsula with warblers feeding within arm's reach.
Then you'll work the edges of Hillman Marsh with shorebirds spread across the mudflats as far as you can see.
At dusk, you'll watch an American Woodcock spiral up into the fading sky in a display most birders spend years hoping to catch.
Every May, thousands of warblers, shorebirds, and songbirds funnel through the southernmost tip of Canada after crossing Lake Erie overnight, filling the trees and marshes with colour and song.
This retreat is your invitation to get an insider’s view of that morning, with someone who knows every corner of the park and every bird by name, and a small group of birders who love the natural world as much as you do.
This retreat isn’t as much about ticking boxes or keeping pace, but more about paying attention to nature, which is its own kind of rest.
What You Take Home
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You arrive as a beginner birder. You leave as an expert.
FOUNDER
With a vision for building something meaningful, our founder brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on experience.
They set the tone for everything we do. -
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A checklist of 100+ plus species
A running list across three days at Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh — warblers, shorebirds, flycatchers, and species most people spend years chasing.
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New Friends
A small group of people who love the outdoors as much as you do, who stand in the same morning light, and who stay connected long after the weekend ends.
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A new way of seeing the outdoors
Rick shares skills like how to follow your ears, how to read a habitat, and how to find the bird before it moves. These skills don't stay at Pelee; they come home with you.
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Memories of a Spectacle
A Prothonotary Warbler two feet away on a low branch. The Woodcock spiralling up into the dusk sky. The marsh at golden hour. These are the mornings you'll still be talking about next spring.
Rick Knows Point Pelee the Way Most People Know Their Own Backyard
Expert Point Pelee Guide
Rick has guided dozens of birders through Point Pelee each spring. He knows which trail holds birds, hears calls in the shrubs before others, and ensures no one misses top sightings. Whether you’re new to warblers or an experienced birder, Rick meets you where you are and tailors each weekend. No fixed itinerary — he reads the park in real time and adjusts the schedule so every hour counts.
Your days at Pelee
The First Night Evening
You arrive, check in, and meet Rick and the group over dinner at a local restaurant. Rick goes through the plan for the weekend, tells you what birds are moving through right now, and asks everyone to share their target birds so he can build the days around what you most want to see.
Dawn at the Tip
Rick leads the group to the peninsula tip just after first light, when exhausted Lake Erie migrants feed low and close. This is Pelee’s prime hour; Rick positions everyone perfectly. Rare Ontario warblers appear within feet of the trail, and he ensures the whole group sees each one before moving on.
Mid-Morning Through the Habitats
Point Pelee packs diverse habitats into a small area. Rick guides the group through woodlands, marsh edges, fields, and lakeside scrub, stopping where birds concentrate, parsing calls from the shrubs, and linking field marks to lasting ID patterns.
Afternoons at Hillman Marsh
After lunch Rick leads the group to nearby Hillman Marsh, a top Ontario shorebird site in migration. Sandpipers, plovers, ibis, and waterfowl dot the mudflats and open water; Rick scans the flock like a practiced reader—spotting the rare, quietly pointing it out so no one misses it.
Your Afternoons Are Yours
Afternoons are free. Rick suggests spots to explore—productive shoreline, a quiet park trail, hotel birding—or you can rest. Mornings start early; the best birders know when to stop.
Evening Hunt for Woodcock
As dusk falls, Rick leads the group to watch a male American Woodcock perform. It makes a nasal peenting on the ground to spiraling flight and twittering descent. Many hear it for years before seeing it; Rick positions everyone so no one misses a moment.
Everything Included, Nothing Left to Figure Out
2.5 days of guided birding at Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh, with Rick beside you the whole way
Pre-retreat WhatsApp access to ask Rick questions and arrive feeling ready
Real-time ID coaching on the trail, every morning, for skills that stick past the weekend
A group checklist of 80 to 100-plus species plus a full eBird record to keep forever
A Birding with Rick pin and hat to mark a weekend worth remembering
Lifetime access to Rick's alumni community where past guests share sightings, photos, and bird questions year-round
Birdwatch Mindfully
Your Guide for the Weekend
Rick Szabo knows Point Pelee National Park like the back of his hand. He’ll show you which spots are good each morning, which calls are worth checking, and how to get everyone looking at the same bird at once. He birds with you, not at you, and that friendly style shapes every hour of the retreat. Guests return year after year.
What's included:
All meals, hotels, guided birding from Friday dinner through Sunday afternoon, access to the pre-retreat WhatsApp group, the Hillman Marsh afternoon, the American Woodcock evening, alumni community access after the retreat, and the pin and hat.
