Hillman Marsh prepared to celebrate birding season
The Essex Region Conservation Authority is preparing for an influx of birders migrating to the region to snap, track and catch glimpses of special species in Leamington.
ERCA and Hillman Marsh Conservation Area will welcome enthusiasts from May 1 – May 21 for the Shorebird Celebration with a number of special hikes and activities planned in partnership with the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).Hillman Marsh in Leamington, Ont. on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)
“We are thankful for our longstanding partnership with OFO who generously provide tips on how to identify these stunning shorebirds,” said Danielle Breault Stuebing, ERCA’s director of communications and outreach services, in a news release. “We are so happy to welcome them back.”
Hillman Marsh is an important destination for bird watchers as the wetland is unique in its ability to attract migrating shorebirds. ERCA points to the area’s mudflats for nutrition and the wetland’s ability to act as a resting area as combining factors that are an annual attraction for birds – bringing them close to the shoreline for patient photographers.
“Combined with Point Pelee National Park’s ‘Festival of Birds’, the birding opportunities in the Pelee/Hillman region during spring migration are unparalleled,” said Breault Stuebing.
Events are planned as follows:
- May 5 at 10 a.m., Bird Names presentation in Anishinaabemowin with Joseph Pitawanakwat.
- May 8 & May 11 at 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., Jean Iron, renowned Shorebird expert, will host Shorebird Identification Hikes
- May 9 & May 16, at 2:30 p.m., Jess Rose, ERCA Environmental Educator, will host ‘Birding for Beginners’ Hikes
- Wednesdays & Saturdays, OFO will help guests identify shorebirds from the Shorebird Viewing Blind
Entrance fees are $10 per vehicle or special birding passes are available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
VIA Rail service delayed for hours due to suspicious package investigation in Kingston, Ont.
VIA Rail service resumed in the Kingston, Ont. area late Saturday afternoon, after a suspicious package investigation halted train service for more than four hours over the Victoria Day long weekend.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
Jesus is their saviour, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values
As Donald Trump increasingly infuses his campaign with Christian trappings while coasting to a third Republican presidential nomination, his support is as strong as ever among evangelicals and other conservative Christians.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.