From: David.G.Shappirio@um.cc.umich.edu Date: Tue, 6 Dec 94 23:25:02 EST To: alb@umcc.umich.edu Subject: Route to Hillman Marsh Go to Leamington as indicated in the route to Point Pelee. Hillman Marsh is east of the city. Go east on Oak Street; it will lead to a lesser road, labelled Concession 2. Go ahead for 5 minutes drive and Hillman Marsh will be sign-posted on the right. Pull into the parking area and walk along the trail beside the marsh. (It is also possible to return via Hillman Marsh when leaving Point Pelee. The map in the Visitor's Guide is not altogether easy to follow, and I suggest asking the person on duty in the Visitor Centre to mark the route on it.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- March 9, 2003 Pelee region scoops new shorebird habitat! Tens of thousands of birders visiting the Point Pelee, Ontario region this May are in for a better show than ever. This spring, nearby Hillman Marsh Conservation Area will open a huge 45 acre impoundment that will be managed for spring shorebird habitat. For a region that often has a dearth of mudflats, this is big, big news! As a long time local birder, I'm thrilled, and I want to make sure birders know where it is, what it is, and most importantly how we can help ensure its a runaway success. Because WHAT WE DO, OR DON'T DO (see below) COULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. One thing we often bemoan is the lack of good, predictable shorebird habitat both inside and outside the national park. Now the Essex Region Conservation Authority has stepped up to the plate to fill that void. In the spring of 2003, ERCA in partnership with Ducks Unlimited , will open a new multiple use 45 acre managed impoundment at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area. The habitat will be on the west side of HMCA five minutes from Point Pelee National Park and the town of Leamington. Each spring, water levels in the impoundment will be managed to attract migrating shorebirds. The potential of this site is enormous. The estimated budget land acquisition and construction of the cell was Canadian $800,000 (approximately US$500,000). Major financial partners in this project included Ducks Unlimited, Family Tradition Foods Incorporated, Canadian Wildlife Service - Environment Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Power Generation, Essex Region Conservation Foundation, North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Kathleen-Mary and Walter Barron Foundation, Ontario Great Lakes Renewal Foundation, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Additional costs include yearly maintenance and agricultural costs, and reforestation and tall grass prairie planting. Many partners have stepped up to the plate to bear the brunt of the capital cost of the project. But essential to the long term success of the project will be user fees from birders who benefit directly from the creation of this managed habitat. Each year, there will be operation and maintenance fees associated specifically with the provision of shorebird habitat. These include the cost of pumping and maintaining water levels. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE BIRDERS TO COMPLY WITH THE SELF SERVE PAY KIOSK AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SITE. Those fees will demonstrate our support of this site and will ensure that it is maintained in future years. This is one case where paying is not only the right thing to do, its the smart thing as well. The daily fee per vehicle is only Canadian $4 while an annual permit is only $40 . The latter is good to all ERCA sites in the region including Holiday Beach Conservation Area which is a superb fall raptor and songbird site. The second thing critical to success of the project running smoothly is using the designated access and parking lot. Because of the configuration of the site, some birders will be tempted to shortcut the existing access and try to park along County Rd. 37 due west of the site. PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS THE SITE FROM CTY RD.37! The only permissible access is via the parking lot and trail. All the land west of the site is being planted into either native trees or prairie and is being actively restored. The newly constructed dykes on the west side will likely be soft and muddy and not be suitable for foot access this spring. Access to the site is via the current entrance and parking lot at northwest Hillman Marsh and by following the trail south and east to the existing dykes which were used as the eastern boundary of the impoundment. One of the biggest challenges to managing the site on the long term for shorebirds is control of vegetation within the cell. After the spring migration, water levels will be lowered and the impoundment will be planted with a wildlife food crop such as corn, millet or wild rice. The planted homoculture should severely deter invasive emergent vegetation. In the early fall the crop will be harvested and the impoundment will be flooded to attract migrant waterfowl. The impoundment is within the established baited area of Hillman Marsh Conservation Area. However, hunting will not take place in the impoundment. Once the site is frozen and waterfowl depart in early winter, water levels would be managed to reduce crop residue and to prepare for the creation of mudflats for the following spring. Local birders, including yours truly, were involved in consultation on this management scheme. For birders this spring will be an exciting time. Who knows what will turn up? Huge numbers of breeding plumage Dunlin, Black- bellied Plovers, both yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstones and peeps are a good possibility. And rarities such as Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, both godwits and others have made brief visits before such a site existed. And each year the site is sure to get better. One thing is certain. The Essex Region Conservation Authority, Ducks Unlimited and all the contributors are to be thanked and congratulated for this wonderful project. Shorebirds, and all those who love them, are sure to be big winners. For more info on Essex Region Conservation Authority please contact Danielle Breault at dbreault@erca.org, 519-776-5209 X352, or visit www.erca.org . Tom Hince Wild Rose Guest House On the web at: http://www.netcore.ca/~peleetom RR#1 (21298 Harbour Rd.) Wheatley, ONT. (gateway to Point Pelee National Park) N0P 2P0 Canada (519) 825-9070 (phone/voice) (519) 825-9169 (fax) Email: peleetom@netcore.ca "Tom Hince" -------------------------------------------------------------- Shorebirds at Point Pelee By Tom Hince Winging It, April 2003 Jutting south into Lake Erie near Ontario's southernmost point, only an hour's drive south of Detroit, Michigan, the Pelee peninsula is renowned for focusing concentrations of spring songbirds. But when songbird numbers are low, birders look farther afield. One thing locals and visitors alike often bemoan is that both inside and near Point Pelee National Park, shorebird habitat is typically ephemeral and highly variable in quality. Now the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) has stepped up to fill that void. In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, ERCA is opening a new, multiple-use, 45-acre managed impoundment at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area. On the western side of the conservation area, just a five-minute drive from the national park, the impoundment will be managed for spring shorebird habitat. Each spring, water levels in the impoundment will be manipulated to attract migrating shorebirds. Upwards of thirty species of shorebirds pass through the region each spring, and now a reliable, managed location to feed and rest will greet migrants arriving in Point Pelee. The area will be open to birders, which is big news in a region that often suffers a dearth of mudflats. But it is vital that birders understand their role in ensuring the long-term success of this new resource. The estimated budget land for acquisition and construction of the cell was CDN$800,000 (approximately US$500,000), and many entities have united to bear the capital cost of the project. Major financial partners in this project included Ducks Unlimited, Family Tradition Foods Incorporated, the Canadian Wildlife Service/Environment Canada, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Power Generation, the Essex Region Conservation Foundation, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the Kathleen-Mary and Walter Barron Foundation, Ontario Great Lakes Renewal Foundation, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. However, the long-term ecological success of the new habitat also demands yearly maintenance and agricultural costs, including the cost of pumping and maintaining water levels and investment in reforestation and tall-grass prairie restoration. Therefore, it is vital that birders comply with site's access fees and instructions. Sign in at the selfserve pay kiosk at the entrance to the site. Your fees will demonstrate our support oof this site and will ensure that it is maintained in future years. The daily fee per vehicle is only CDN$4 (roughly US$2.75); an annual permit is only CDN$40 (roughly US$28). The latter is good to all ERCA sites in the region, including Holiday Beach Conservation Area, which is a superb fall raptor and songbird site. Also, visitors of all kinds have an obligation to minimize their impact on sensitive areas. Please use the official entrance and parking lot near the northwestern corner of Hillman Marsh, following the trail south and east to the established dykes forming the eastern boundary of the impoundment. Do not attempt to take a short-cut or circumvent the fee by entering the site from County Road 37 on the site's west side. After the spring migration, water levels will be lowered and the impoundment will be planted with a wildlife food crop such as corn, millet, or wild rice. The planted homoculture should deter invasive vegetation during the growing season. In early fall, the crop will be harvested and the impoundment will be flooded to attract migrant waterfowl. Although the impoundment is within the established baited area of Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, hunting will not take place in the impoundment. Once the site is frozen and waterfowl depart in early winter, water levels will be managed to reduce crop residue and to prepare for the creation of mudflats the following spring. To reach Hillman Marsh from Erie Street (Highway 77) in Leamington, turn east onto Oak Street and proceed about 6.5 kilometers to the entrance on the right (south), just before the second Concession Road. A detailed map of Hillman Marsh and the new shorebird impoundment is available on the ERCA website, . Who knows what you might find in this newly improved habitat? Big numbers of Dunlin, Black-bellied Plovers, both yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstones, and peeps are good possibilities. Rarities such as Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, and both godwits made brief visits to the area even before this site existed. One thing is certain. The Essex Region Conservation Authority, Ducks Unlimited, and all who helped with this project are to be thanked and congratulated. Shorebirds, and all those who love them, are sure to be big winners. Tom Hince is a former park naturalist and birding expert at Point Pelee National Park and the author of Birders Guide to Point Pelee (ABA Sales//.505). He operates Wild Rose Guest House adjacent to the Point Pelee National Park. Tom can be reached at or . For more information on the Essex Region Conservation Authority, please contact Danielle Breault at (519) 776-5209, ext. 352, or visit . Winging It, April 2003