2023 Gull Weekend
Plan your visit for the Gull Weekend: Two days of birding, learning, and fun
Saturday, December 2nd
9:30 – 12:00: Explore Welland Canal
Explore one of Niagara’s premier local hotspots with leaders from the Peninsula Field Naturalists. Good chances for late-migrant passerines and winter residents, gulls, and water birds. Registration required.
1:00 – 3:00 Learn about Gulls
From 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Justin Peter will give a 2-hour presentation about Gulls. Niagara Parks School of Horticulture (see description in field trip list). Open to all.
3:30 – 5:00 Experience the legendary fly-by
From 3.30 -5.00 pm birders typically congregate for the gull fly-by at the docks at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Expect to see thousands of gulls as they fly past the docks at Niagara-on-the-Lake to their evening roosts on Lake Erie. Good chance for rarities, including Little Gull. Open to all.
Sunday, December 3rd
9:00 am – 3:30 pm: Niagara River Gull Watch (two sessions)
Register for one of two sessions, each led by experts, to explore the gulls and other birds of the Niagara River – a spectacle not to be missed. Registration required, see session 1 and session 2.
River Rapids Inn will have a group rate Friday Dec 1/Saturday Dec 2 night at $149 (averaged) per night for rooms with 2 Queen beds ONLY, plus service fee $5.00, city tax fee $2.00 and HST. The $20.00 parking fee will be waived. (if the pricing isn’t exact on the billing it will average out to $149/night)
If you are booking 3 nights (pre/post Dec 1st or 2nd) with 2 Queen beds, the rate will be $129/night (averaged) plus service fee $5.00, city tax $2.00 plus HST. (if the pricing isn’t exact on the billing it will average out to $129 as long as you stay 3 nights)
Breakfast will be available at 7AM.
Please call 905-371-2200 and quote “Ontario Field Ornithologists”. Do not use their website to book, you will be charged for parking and won’t get the preferred room rate.
They are located at 4029 River Road, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 3E5
Dress warmly, bring sun screen, water, and snacks. Prepare to pay parking fees at each location unless you have a Niagara Parks Parking Pass. Carpooling from the meeting place is encouraged.
Transportation: Car transport is required for the weekend. Car pooling is strongly encouraged to reduce the number of cars and to allow those who do not have a car to attend. Please, register for the OFO Discord Server and post your car pooling request.
Niagara Parks Parking Pass: A Niagara Parks parking pass of $40 is strongly recommended for the weekend to avoid paying parking fees at each stopping place. The pass is good for one year from the date of purchase and can be purchased at https://www.niagaraparks.com/…/plan-your…/parking-pass/. It’s best to purchase this in advance and ask for it to be mailed to your home.
Visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/Tripsupcoming for all the details on the trips and registration.
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