Our mornings during my Songbirds of Pelee workshop begin before the sun even thinks about waking and painting the eastern horizon with golden light. After a short tram ride to the tip, we navigate the quiet paths, the air thick with the promise of new arrivals. The dawn chorus is just beginning to build, a symphony of unseen voices. And then, perhaps a subtle, fluting call cuts through the other sounds – the telltale sign of a Swainson's Thrush nearby.

More often than not, the bird remains a phantom, its presence only betrayed by its melodic song. But the challenge isn't just in seeing the thrush; it's in finding that magical combination of factors that allows for a photograph. The light, still soft and golden from the rising sun, must penetrate the foliage layers just so. The bird needs to perch, even for a fleeting second, in a spot that offers a relatively unobstructed view. And then, of course, there's the angle of view, the bird's pose and the direction of light – maneuvering ourselves to photograph the bird without disturbing it, ensuring the light graces its features in the most flattering way.

There are moments of intense focus, heartbeats suspended as a potential shot aligns, only to be thwarted by a shift in the bird's position or a stray leaf or branch stubbornly obscuring the view. These near misses are part of the adventure, the moments that make the eventual success all the more rewarding.

And when it finally happens – that moment when the Swainson's Thrush pauses on a decent perch, bathed in the soft glow of first light, with a clean enough line of sight, with a flattering pose and angle…and a catchlight in the eye – it's pure magic. The click of the shutter feels significant, a small victory hard-earned: We learn the patience of a hunter, the art of observation and the importance of tenacity.

Did you know that the Swainson's Thrush undertakes truly epic nocturnal migrations, sometimes flying thousands of kilometres? Even more fascinating is that they primarily navigate using celestial cues – the stars – to guide their journey across continents. Imagine this small, elusive bird using the vastness of the night sky as its map!

If the magic of a Pelee dawn chorus and the rewarding challenge of capturing these fleeting beauties during migration resonates with you, perhaps you're ready to experience it firsthand. Our Songbirds of Pelee workshop offers an immersive opportunity to learn the art of bird photography in one of North America's premier migration hotspots. Click here to visit our workshop page, explore upcoming dates, and discover how you can join us on the tip as the sun rises, chasing those unforgettable moments with the songbirds of Pelee.