I have been writing this column since 2013 and I thought it might be worthwhile to re-publish some of the earlier columns from time to time.
However, you may well remember that the publishing schedule was somewhat different several years ago. When The Millbrook Times was a weekly publication my column usually appeared in the third week of the month. This article was originally published as the March 2015 Get Out!
Spring Comes to the Valley
No, the title is not a misprint! There are real signs of spring all around us. Thank heavens! The length of daylight, the angle of the sun, the smell of the air, the song of the birds are all telling us that winter is nearly over. We all breathe a sigh of relief. And some very ancient feeling stirs within us–I think it’s Hope.
On the millpond silent, dark fingers of open water slowly thrust their way in amongst the snow covered ice. And this begins, to my astonishment, before the thaw really comes. I can well imagine why other cultures, including our own in the distant past, hold or held beliefs in water gods, goddesses, sprites and whatnot. Watching the pond melt urges one to believe there is some kind of life-force there–with a mind of its own. The first day there was open water upstream of the dam, as if by magic, there is a pair of Canada Geese. And the next day, the first day of the real thaw, there are already a dozen! How do they know? Do they send out scouts?! And immediately upon arriving they are honking and maneuvering for supremacy. These hardy birds often nest before all the snow is gone. Goslings are usually first seen on the pond in late April or early May (after an incubation period of about 28 days).
As the thaw continues, melting snow reveals tiny patches of bare land on the island. And the geese are there, thrusting out their necks in an aggressive manner and honking to claim the best nesting sites. The Canada Goose is a large, loud bird, hard not to notice. We either love them or hate them. But I remember a time when they were rare. Thinking of their numbers now it hardly seems possible. The name Jack Miner will strike a chord with some people who have long memories. Back in the first decade of the 20th Century, this visionary established a bird sanctuary for waterfowl. You see, even then their numbers were declining drastically. Recently friends of mine gave me the “Atlas of Breeding Birds of Ontario 2001-2005.” This impressive tome contains incredible information about all birds that breed (or might breed) in Ontario; and it is a second atlas, following an earlier one compiled in 1981-1985. This book tells me that in the 1960s our Ministry of Natural Resources began a “formal reintroduction program”. And we can see the results! Between the first atlas and this newer one the population of breeding geese in our area has more than doubled! The population in Ontario is now estimated to be 1 million.
Baxter Creek as it comes back to life reveals very turbid water. I wonder why. I’m thinking that the very thick ice increases the flow between it and the bottom thereby stirring up mud. Does anybody else have an explanation?
Last year and this year the cardinals started singing on an extremely cold but sunny day. Their internal clock obviously does not go by the temperature! And that clock is not to be gainsaid. They know that spring is coming if not yet completely here.
The geese and other birds, the light, the sap running, and the smell of the air are calling us to get out. But please don’t feed the geese.
Get out! And enjoy!
Get Out! by Glen Spurrell
