Next week the calendar tells us that spring
has finally arrived. The ground hog may have mentioned it about five weeks ago (in
case you missed the announcement).
Unlike the last few years where migrating
birds returned in January and gardens sprouted in February, this past winter
took us back to when winters had snow and Jack Frost occasionally did take a nibble at your nose. The
arrival of spring this year also bodes well for a healthy season. As we speak
the vernal pools are active with amphibian activity and the endangered
Jefferson Salamanders are on the move! It is breeding season for Jeffy and that
comes with road closures in some areas to protect the paths they take to reach
their breeding grounds.
Now, Jefferson Salamanders don’t make much
noise and, while their movement heralds the arrival of spring, they are not the
most commonly-noticed of creatures. One creature you will notice is the Red-Winged Blackbird. Traditionally, another
first sign of spring is their migratory return from the Southern States. Keep a look out near wet areas such as
wetlands and shorelines populated by tall grasses or cattails and bulrushes. They’ll
start looking for dance partners as soon as they return, so their calls will be
frequent and easily heard. Just watch out once they start nesting because they
defend their nests vigorously!
It’s not just the little ones we watch for
this month. Along the north shores of Lake Erie from Windsor to Point Pelee,
mass migrations of raptors are a birder’s delight. Closer to home, the Niagara Peninsula Hawk Watch is underway with the big day coming up at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area
in the Niagara Region on Good Friday. But really, anywhere along the Niagara
Escarpment and the lake shores this time of year is an excellent opportunity to
see large birds such as bald eagles, swans, herons, falcons and hawks on their
way back to Ontario.
A few weeks from now you might even get
lucky enough to see the “clouds” of Broad-winged hawks and my friends the Turkey
Vultures as they migrate en masse. Last year’s count of Turkey Vultures
estimated more than 20,000 traveling through Niagara and more than 100,000
through Western Ontario!
So if you’re waiting for the flowery signs
of spring… they’re coming, but it’s the feathery signs that come first!
Chris Hamilton
Information Officer
Hamilton Conservation Authority
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