An adult Bald Eagle near Tapley 1/4 Line and #21
Photo Dennis Vanderspek
An adult Bald Eagle near Tapley 1/4 Line and #21
Rodgers and Hammerstein mustn’t be blamed, I suppose, for omitting any reference to mud! But all walkers and gardeners know that spring means mud. It’s just a fact of life. March with its unpredictable weather often gives us glorious days of warmth only to crush our hopes with wet snow and freezing winds on other days. That’s life too! But my mission is to overcome this crushing of hope by offering tantalizing images of new and interesting things to see and experience. And March offers so very many of these!
But before I set out on that path, let me do a little catching up. How often have I written that just after sending my column off something has occurred that I really wanted to tell readers. Well, just after sending Karen my column last month I heard a cardinal singing for the first time. Of course! I knew I had meant to alert readers to this! An early but true sign that winter is ending.
I have already written about the Evening Grosbeaks who have spent the winter in our area. Many people with feeders will have had great enjoyment watching them this winter. One day on a walk I came upon a large flock of these beautiful yellow, black and white birds feeding in a copse of sumac. The colours of the birds and the colour of the fruit combine to make a picture that was entrancing. On another day I also saw flocks in Manitoba Maple trees eating the keys. Oh good! Fewer seedlings of this weedy tree this year perhaps.
And let me relate two more things that happened recently. The Trumpeter Swans have made a return visit. With just a little open water, five swans flew in one day and stayed quite a few hours. It would appear they were two adults and three juveniles: last year’s family I would guess. The new dam on the millpond in Millbrook has a deep and sheltered spillway. There is often something of interest there if you stop to look. Recently I came to the spillway and was surprised when a flock of a dozen mallards foraging in the spillway sprang into the air. I surprised them as much as they startled me. The colour and movement, especially contrasted with the dead white of snow everywhere else, were quite beautiful.
Birdwatching is not everyone’s cup of tea; and I know I am guilty of writing an awful lot about birds. But even for confirmed non-birdwatchers the signs of spring brought by migratory birds with their sound and colour bring joy. The first migratory duck was on the pond this morning. And soon, among other early migrants, Red-winged Blackbirds will be calling and showing their brilliant epaulettes.
A final note on birds (well, for this column at least): neighbours sent me a couple of impressive photos of a Bald Eagle they happened to see at the corner of Tapley 1/4 Line and #21. These majestic birds are making a real comeback in our area. I have seen them on both the East and West coasts of Canada but I have yet to see one in Ontario. And I haven’t seen a Snowy Owl yet this winter. So maybe I’ll be lucky and catch a glimpse of this other large raptor.
The days are getting much longer and thawing temperatures are now inevitable. Remarkably early in a thaw the first spring bulbs will start to bloom. The beautiful snowdrops are often the first, and despite often dismal weather they calmly hang their pure white bell-shaped flowers. Look for them soon in protected gardens where the snow disappears first. On Anne Street in Millbrook just across from the historic Needler House is one such garden.
Flowers and birdsong will soon be the order of the day. It’s been a terrific winter and I’ve never seen the millpond rink so well used. But even this very snowy winter must eventually melt into spring. So even if the trails are too muddy for walking, you have only to look out your window or venture just a few steps from your front door to see, hear and smell the glories that are spring. Get out! And enjoy!
Get Out! by Glen Spurrell
