Spring Equinox – sounds promising but…

March 20 2018.  As a sort of fun event to celebrate the Spring Equinox we sent teams out to do ‘warm up’ transects of each of our three routes.  One clear theme emerged – it was far too cold for either birds or birding.

David, on his own, walked the Captain Cootes transect, heading right into the teeth of a bitter east wind. Still he recorded 23 species overall including an American Crow carrying a stick which he noted as some kind of harbinger of spring. Lyn and Deb, on the Grey Doe route, were a little better sheltered from the wind  but its roaring in the tree tops made birding by ear out of the question.  They too recorded 23 species including one Song Sparrow and one Northern Flicker and you can easily persuade yourself  that both are early migrants (Something we live for these days.) Ross, Sheena and Peter birded the Cherry Hill route which took us out of the wind.  We had the impromtu company of a grandmother and her two grandsons, Elon (9) is an enthusiastic future birder with a passion for seeking out vultures. The boys were entertaining if distracting and the best we could come up with was 17 species with the help of 43 Mallards

There are better days to come.