Spring Migration - Lake Erie 2019

The spring migration in 2019 in Lake Erie was a bit unusual for us as the warblers and other migratory birds came in slowly. We started our journey on the USA side in late April at Maumee Bay and Magee Marsh and then headed north to Point Pelee National Park, Ontario (Canada) until mid-May. The species we used to see in numbers in previous years were sparse and trickling in slowly. However, our days were rewarded by a number of species new to us, each providing ample opportunities for photography. We were able to see and photograph the yellow-throated warbler, Tennessee warbler, prairie warbler, Kentucky warbler, Kirtland's warbler and golden-winged warbler. On May 9 at Point Pelee National Park, we experienced a fallout, an event whereby the migrating birds crossing Lake Erie suddenly converge on coastal landmarks to rest and feed. For several hours, warblers and other species of birds landed on the beach at the end of Point Pelee, actively looking for food and ignoring the crowd of birdwatchers and onlookers. At one point, some warblers landed on onlookers or on their photographic equipment. The last time we had seen such an event was in 2016 at the same location (see our article on the Canadian Nature Photographer website). Overall, we saw about 160 species during our trip around lake Erie.

The following photos were taken with the new Canon EOS-R mirrorless camera, in conjunction with the Sigma 150-600mm telephoto lens. I also added the Topaz Sharpen AI software to my processing workflow as a complement to Lightroom.