Bruce Peninsula Getaway

Bay-breasted Warbler

I spent the last couple of days up in Bruce County. I camped at one of my favourite parks, MacGregor Point Provincial Park south of Port Elgin. The central highlight of the trip was to visit Cabot Head and the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory where I have been a couple of times before. They had their annual open house on Saturday.

I guess the weather has just been too nice the past week, as there were not a lot of birds around, and virtually no butterflies. MacGregor Point P. P. was very good for warblers and vireos though, as it usually is. The only butterflies I saw were one Pearl Crescent, one Viceroy and a few Cabbage Whites at the park. Nothing up the peninsua except one worn Least Skipper and a few Cabbage Whites at Dorcas Bay. Last year at this time I had Atlantis Fritillaries, White Admirals, and Leonard's Skippers!

Black-throated Green Warbler

Birding was fairly good at MacGregor Point with some good pockets of warblers. There were lots of Wilson's, Bay-breasted and Black-throated Green. Never saw a waterthrush which seemed strange as there are usually lots there. Philadelphia Vireos were plentiful.


Out on the lake were just gulls and cormorants and Canada Geese. Friday was calm, but Saturday was a bit windier as the wind had changed direction.
The DU Pond on Tower Trail had a Merlin standing watch.

The common wildflowers included Fringed Gentian and Grass of Parnasus. They could be seen side-by-side as seen above.
During the nights, especially Friday night, I could hear passerines migrating overhead. Conditions were right for long distance migrants such as warblers and thrushes. The thrushes were particulary vocal Friday night.
Pileated Woodpeckers were quite vocal throughout the park, but I never saw one!
I watched the sun set both evenings over Lake Huron.

Sunset 11 Sept 19:45h

Saturday I got up early to travel up to Cabot Head. It was a perfect day weather-wise--very calm and clear skies, and fairly warm. From the park, Cabot Head is a good one hour and 35-40 minutes. The last part is a narrow gravel road along the base of the bluffs along Dyer's Bay.

Dyer's Bay

Lots of people showed up for the open house at the Bird Banding Station. Just two weeks ago they started using a new state-of-the-art banding lab. This site is one of the top banding stations in Canada and bands over 3000 birds per year.


On the road in, one passes by the alvar which gives spectacular views of the bluffs. The alvar is a very rare habitat that has been virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. Rare plants grow here and the environment is very fragile.

Wingfield Basin was as calm as glass, and no boats were present. This is a testament to the ideal weather we have been having lately!
The Gargantua wreck still remains a significant feature of the basin.

Wingfield Basin

A walk around the area did not reveal very many birds. A family of Wild Turkeys greeted everyone on the way in. These are virtually everywhere now! The young ones look like Roadrunners to the uninformed non-birders!

After lunch at Cabot Head Station, I headed up to Dorcas Bay/Singing Sands Beach. This was always one of my favourite spots that I visited in the past. It is good for birds, plants and rattle snakes! I did not see a Massasauga Rattlesnake this time, but have in the past. I missed one on the path by about 20 minutes this day, according to someone ahead of me.

I have seen lots of birds here, including White-winged Crossbills in June, and a Great Gray Owl in July!

Not many birds were here, but I did come across a group of Palm Warblers. These were the only ones I saw on the whole trip!

I found an interesting stream flowing out onto the sand. I noticed one spot where the sand was being pushed up every few seconds in a circular pattern. Perhaps this was an underground spring pushing water up.

A few shorebids were out on the mud, including Semipalmated Plovers and a Semipalmated Sandpiper.


I made a quick stop to Tobermory harbour after this walk. Been a while since I have been in Tobermory.
Next stop was way down the peninsula to Petrel Point nature reserve, another spot I have checked out frequently. Ontario Nature has preserved this spot just north of Red Bay Road for the fen habitat and rare plants. As I arrived I noticed a few people on the boardwalk looking at plants. It happened to be Joe Johnston pointing out the various plants to some interested naturalists. Joe is one of the best all-round naturalists there is, and is very knowledgeable about plants on the Bruce.

Petrel Point Nature Reserve

Back to MacGregor Point...

That evening I saw a Great Egret in a pond. This was a banded bird, but it was too distant to make out any detail without a scope. It had two reddish bands on the left leg and a silver band on the ankle of the right leg. Many egrets were banded this year, so perhaps this one was from nearby Chantry Island.

I watched the sun set once again. At 19:43 it dipped below the horizon!

Sunday morning I briefly stopped at Goderich to walk on the old railway bridge over the Maitland River.

Michipicoten unloading wheat (as seen from the bridge)

Next two stops were not too productive at Grand Bend Sewage Lagoons and Pinery Provincial Park. The lagoons had three Black-crowned Night-Herons, ducks and a few common shorebirds. An Olive-sided Flycatcher was atop a dead tree nearby.

North of Wallaceburg I stopped at a pond.

bluet species damselflies in "wheel" position

There were more frogs than anything! They were content to stay put.

Leopard Frog



small Bull Frog