Birding Boat Tours Bruce Peninsula Boat Tours
Birding By Boat
Let your binoculars lead you, and we will safely facilitate your birding by boat experience.
The Bruce Peninsula is on a major North American bird migration corridor, known as the ‘Huron Fringe’ which is a must visit for birders.
We will facilitate your on-water discovery of the birding population nesting at an off-shore rookery and the birds you will sight nesting and passing through the Fishing Islands of Lake Huron.
The area where we tour include the islands, coastal wetlands and the reefs and shoals that are the location of nesting sites for a number of species, particularly in May and June.
The great blue heron rookery off-shore is a sight to behold. Bald-eagles and white egrets nest nearby as do a number of waterfowl and other species.
The endangered piping plover nested on these shores in 2008 when water was low and there was suitable habitat.
The Huron Fringe Birding Festival which takes place at McGregor Point, just 45 km south of our departure location takes place in our region every May/June, is enjoyed by many. The 2017 festival bird count tallied 181 species. The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory is located at Cabot Head on the Bruce Peninsula, just 60 km north. This station in North Bruce has a significant fall migration monitoring program. A total of 133 species of birds were detected in standard count area over the monitoring season.
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Birding the Islands by Boat with Doug Pedwell
Join group leader Doug Pedwell to discover the birds of the Fishing Islands off the west coast of the Bruce Peninsula.
Since retiring from teaching, Doug has been able to indulge his lifelong passions of of birding and photography. He can often be found scanning the shoreline of Lake Huron and the Fishing Islands in search of the birds that pass through this beautiful part of the Bruce Peninsula and nest here in the spring. A member of the Bruce Birding Club, the Saugeen Shores Camera Club and a past-president of the Friends of MacGregor Point Park and the Huron Fringe Birding Festival, you will enjoy having Doug share his skill and local knowledge aboard our vessel.
During this 1.5 hour tour we will visit a heron rookery while navigating through the islands. Passengers will remain onboard, and the entire tour is conducted from the boat.
2017 Dates
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Fri. May 11, 2017 ~ PWD*: Sunday May 13th
Sat. May 19, 2017 ~ PWD: Sun. May 20th
Sat. June 9, 2017 ~ PWD: Sun. June 10th
Fri. June 22, 2017 ~ PWD: Sat. June 23rd
*PWD/”Poor weather dates” have been assigned in case the weather becomes unsuitable for safe sailing the day of your scheduled tour. The “poor weather date” will be provided as an alternative and will run if a minimum of 4 passengers remain registered. A full refund will be provided to registered participants if the the weather is poor and they are unable to come on the poor weather date, or if the the minimum passengers is not met for the alternate date.
Bird Photography in the Fishing Islands
Come Aboard and We’ll Indulge Your Bird Photography Passion!
Come get that special shot you have been waiting for. We provide a 1.5 hour photo-centric tour in the Fishing Islands of Lake Huron. Our guides will safely transport you within our touring area and provide opportunities for you to photograph the birds that pass through and nest around the islands. The islands are on a migratory bird route. We will visit to an off-shore heron rookery, as wave and wind conditions permit.
Private tours and group tours are available on Islander I. It has a capacity of 6 people. If you have a larger group, please contact us to see if our 12-passenger boat might be available. If you book on a group birding photography tour, other photographers may join you.
If our schedule does not suit your party’s needs, please contact us, and tell us what dates you are looking for.
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