Celebrating bird migration at Presqu’ile

By Linda Horn

BRIGHTON ONT (22/05/2011) Elizabeth Frost bands a Robin at the Warblers and Whimblers weekend. Frost was demonstrating bird banding at Presqu'ile Provincial Park to help educate people about birds. Photo by Linda Horn

Presqu’ile Provincial Park played host to the birds last weekend.

The park hosted a Warblers and Whimbrels Weekend in hopes of educating the public about the park and migrating birds.

The park hosts the annual weekend event to celebrate spring migration. Presqu’ile is a migration trap. The Great lakes are a barrier for birds returning for the summer.

They come to the edge and they do not want to go any further. Presqu’ile sticks out more in the lake, making it even more attractive, said David Bree, senior heritage education leader for the park.

Weekend events included guided bird walks, bird banding and a barbeque. Even seasoned bird watchers like Jim Stacey from Lindsay appreciated the guided bird walks.

“It’s good to a have an expert guide you sometimes. Warblers are so small and up high in the trees it is hard to find them,” said Stacey.

Participants on the bird walk learned some interesting tips and techniques. Bree explained how to bird watch by sound rather than sight and when the best time is to bird watch.

“The best days for bird watching is if it was a clear night, south wind, and at dawn just a bit of rain. They all drop, rest and feed,” said Bree.

At another location in the park, Elizabeth and Roger Frost were set up to do bird banding. Roger Frost would catch the birds using a “mist net” which is a long thin net that birds fly into. His wife, Elizabeth Frost, then banded them. The two then measured and looked the bird over while documenting their finds.

“Bird banding is used to track migration paths, if the birds come back to the same area, and longevity of the birds. Having the public watch how bird banding is done is an introduction to birds for beginners,” said Frost.

One beginner was Ross Breton an 11-year-old from Trenton. Breton was asked to help with the bird banding because of his love of birds and nature.

“It is really cool learning and experiencing the art of banding,” said Breton.

Bree said one of the mandates at the park is education, teaching the public the significance of the park being a migration route, not only for birds but also for insects as well, said Bree.

He said he wants to teach the public the importance of a protected park, but also having natural spaces outside the park.

“A lot of times we make a park and put a line around it and some think that will do the job, but these animals, like the shore birds for instance, need protected places all the way from Argentina to the Arctic,” said Bree
While education is a big part of the weekend it is also a celebration of spring.

“These events get people to come out and enjoy the place. When you enjoy it you will value it,” said Bree.