I travel with friends to Pelee. They've been going for years. Here is one friend's tips.
-Go to the Visitor Center in the park, the folks working there will be more than happy to provide a list of all the places nearby. I remember they had other locations posted on the wall behind the front desk last year.
-Some good places off the top of my head -- Rondeau Provincial Park (a little NE from Leamington/Pelee along the shoreline), Stoney Point on Lake St. Clair (just north of Comber), sewage lagoons in Comber (they can be very good -- off route 77 - we used to go all the time but haven't been there in years), Hillman's marsh and the onion fields just north of the park, of course, are all very good places and can be quite productive.
-There are really no places that you want to avoid, because any spot can be good during migration. You never know where the birds are going to show up. People like to guess, and so they start out at the tip of the park at first light, because generally that's where the birds flying over the lake first touch down, and then they move northward throughout the day. So that's a logical way to cover the park.
-I never took a guided tour, but those who have done so, enjoyed them. Remember that many eyes are better than one (pair), and you will probably find more birds in a group. And during the peak season, you won't be alone in the park... you will be surrounded by dozens of other birders, and even if you find yourself alone from time to time, sooner or later you are going to bump into someone, or groups of people. Especially if something "good" shows up. Once I was watching a Prothonotary warbler on a pond and it was surrounded by a dozen photographers... it looked like a celebrity photo shoot, with cameras clicking and flashes going off all over the place. Mostly the crowds congregate around a special bird, like a Chuck-will's widow, or a Kentucky warbler or an owl, or a hawk on a nest... but they observe it for awhile and move on. The crowd is fairly fluid. It's OK.
-Decent accommodation is available, but if you want to go at the peak season in May all the rooms in Leamington are probably booked by now... at least that's the way it used to be -- the entire town used to sell out. Once we had to stay in Windsor because we couldn't find anything closer! So do call each place and check for availability. The hotels let you book for next year without a deposit, so if you go, be sure to fill out a form at the hotel for next year if you think you might go back. But now there are various new hotels and motels... Comfort Inn, Ramada and I just checked on a Google search and I see a very nice looking Howard Johnson's. These three are the newest and probably the nicest. Some have pools and hot tubs... Also there's the Pelee Days Inn, used to be the best (only big hotel) in town and is the one that's closest to the park. Has a big indoor pool/water and play area and restaurant. There are other smaller places like Rymal's. These are the small one-story places where you can park in front of your room. All the motels range from just OK to good -- 2 or 3 stars.
Good luck and if you do make it, I'm sure you will have a great time. Hope this helps!
