Signs of spring creep in at a slow pace, the birds start to trickle back, trees to leaf, and the grass becomes greener. Suddenly one day, it seems to bust forth with a rush and the main sign is the flowering shrubs. Forsythia first, and later lilacs and flowering dogwood. My favorite is the Redbud. This specimen has toppled in some long ago wind but still brings forth these gorgeous cascades of color.
Early one morning, while looking for migrant birds along the lake at Long Point, Ontario,I spotted an adult fox standing like a sentinel on a pile of rubble. As I drove slowly closer I was delighted to see that there were a half a dozen young kits playing under her watchful eye. She gave a sharp alarm bark and they quickly disappeared.
I sat quietly in my car, and eventually they re-appeared. The mother had decided I was not a threat and I had the treat of watching them tussle and play. One curious young animal came within a few feet to examine me. I spent several hours watching them and eventually the adult became confident enough with my presence to go off on a hunt.
Little Blue Heron, although rare, appears annually in Ontario. This bird was reported a couple of days ago from Long Point and has been seen in the pond by the Bird Studies Canada building in Port Rowan.
The species is white as a juvenile and blue as an adult. This bird is in between those plumages. The early morning backlit light made these images difficult but it is an interesting looking plumage, well worth a look
It has been a very hard winter here in Ontario with snow and cold weather coming early and staying late. However now that it has finally broken, I know that I can look forward to my favorite time. The next six weeks will see the migrants coming through. One of the leaders of that wave is the Red-winged Blackbird. The males arrive first, chase each other about, sing and look for females. Hmm, sounds like Friday night at the local pub.
Hooray!!
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