Beginner Birders Day Trip to Point Pelee
Pointe Peele, Ontario
1 Day Tour
Pick your date:
May 15, May 16 or May 17
Join Rick Szabo for a 1 Day guided spring migration tour 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.
Start the day at one of the finest birding sites in North America.
You'll stand at the very tip of Canada. You’ll encounter birds so tired from their overnight flight across Lake Erie, that they’ll pose at an arm’s reach away while feeding themselves.
Then you'll work the edges of Hillman Marsh with shorebirds spread across the mudflats as far as you can see.
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 tour 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 tour 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 80+ 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 day at Pelee
Arrival
You arrive at The Visitors Center at 7am. We will have a quick overview of the day ahead and then walk over to “The Tram”
Morning at the Tip
This is where the most magical birding in North America happens.
If conditions are right, we may experience “fallout” mornings, where warblers, vireos, tanagers, and flycatchers are feeding at eye level just a few feet away.
This is the kind of birding people remember for a lifetime.
The Tip is also where we can observe a rare phenomenon called “reverse migration,” where birds at first light turn around and begin flying south to re orient themselves.
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.
Lunch Break
Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy at the Visitor Centre.
There is also limited food available for purchase in the park, including hot dogs, hamburgers, and snacks like the famous “birdseed” cookie.
Afternoon — Marsh Birds, Shorebirds, and Rarities
In the afternoon, we shift gears depending on what’s best
We will search the Marsh Boardwalk for marsh birds or head over to Hillman Marsh for shorebirds, often with excellent close views and great variety
Alternatively, we could pivot to any rare birds that have been reported in the region
This flexibility is key. Spring at Pelee rewards those who adapt quickly.
Pacing & Comfort
This is a fully customized experience:
• We’ll move at a comfortable pace
• Take breaks as needed. Toilet stops every 90-120 minutes.
• Focus on enjoying the birds, not rushing
Everything Included, Nothing Left to Figure Out
1 days of guided birding at Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh, with Rick beside you the whole way
A group checklist of 80 to 100-plus species plus a full eBird record to keep forever
Real-time ID coaching on the trail, every morning, for skills that stick past the weekend
A Birding with Rick pin and hat to mark a day worth remembering
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
• 8-9 hours of guided birding in Point Pelee National Park and surrounding areas
• eBird checklist of all the birds seen throughout our day
What’s Not included
• Accommodations and/or airfare
• Travel to the Visitors Center
• Entrance fees to Point Pelee NP or Hillman Marsh
Cost
$200 per person
