Warm Weather and the Birds Have Arrived

American Redstart the Festival Mascot

Amazingly warm weather has flooded Ontario in the past week and the migrating birds and trees are loving it. Several species of warblers have arrived along with other species of birds migrating north from their warm winter homes. In early mornings now the bird song gives a new life to the start of each day. At 5:30 AM the resident robins are singing their hearts out along with Northern cardinals, newly arrived Wood thrush and many warbler species.

The countdown is on to the start of the Huron Fringe Birding Festival and there are still a few spots left in some of the events. Hopefully everyone will have an opportunity to attend ones that give them a better awareness of the beauty of nature and many new aspects of it to enjoy. Check out the spots left and pick the ones that pique your interest.

Huron Fringe Birding Festival – Schedule of Events

This time of year, its great to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, the sounds of the birds and a good hike through the woods or grasslands. If you stop beside a grassy meadow or pasture, you’ll hear the happy sounds of Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, and Grasshopper and other various sparrows. Get your online guides out and refresh your hearing with the songs of the various birds you haven’t heard in several months. Its always great to be able to identify those singing birds just by their songs and maybe even their chips if you really want a challenge. Merlin Bird ID is a great app from the Cornell lab of Ornithology that makes identifying birds much easier either by a photo, their song, or just a description. It works great on either Apple or Android devices and can be found at either of the app stores on your specific devices.

Canada Warbler

I started writing this blog yesterday and this morning when I got up to 6 C weather it was a bit of a shock. Quite a change and it will probably slow the birds down a bit but hopefully also the leaf coverage which has been blossoming the past few days. The birds are a bit tougher to see behind those leaves, but it just requires a bit more patience to wait until it clears the vegetation and can be seen clearly for a positive ID. As I mentioned previously though, knowing their song can lead to a positive ID even if they don’t come out of hiding. That’s a great reason to get those bird songs playing now.

Check out your calendar, check out the events of the festival that are still available and come out and have some fun with other folks that are out to enjoy nature and learn a bit more about our natural world. The birds, trees, plants, ferns, and other things that combine for a healthy planet can be fun to see and learn more about. Learn a few more ways to capture this beauty in a photograph or in your mind and store it away to put a smile on your face during the cold months when spring memories are what we have to warm our souls.

Scarlet Tanager

Enjoy the spring and what it has to offer as everything gets renewed for another year. Hope to see you at a few of the interesting events at the 2022 Huron Fringe Birding Festival!

Yellow Lady Slipper Orchid