Point Pelee Festival of Birds attendance up 10%

More visitors came to Point Pelee National Park for this month's Festival of Birds.

Attendance at Point Pelee's Festival of Birds was up 10 per cent over last year heading into the final weekend.

The annual festival wraps up today at Point Pelee National Park in Leamington.

For the past 18 days, birders from all over have crowded Canada's southernmost spot with cameras, binoculars and guidebooks.

Monique Oltrop visitor experience manager with Parks Canada says birders were rewarded on one day in particular.

Wednesday, May 6 was a busy day. It came in the middle of a storm system.

"Because of weather, because of storm conditions, the birds just basically drop out of the sky, and they're seen very low in the vegetation, and so it's a very notable thing for birders," Oltrop said.

Murray Shields of Toronto was one of the people there on the fateful day of the so-called "fallout."

"Everywhere we went in the park, there was birds, and it was just a really amazing day. You talk to some of the old-timers that have been coming for 30 years or so, and it was one of the best days they've ever experienced in the park," Shields said.