2009/03/03

Hints of Spring

I finally got outside today to enjoy this beautiful day. Sunny days with beautiful clouds are my favorites because I can daydream away morphing the clouds into animals and things.

Panoramic view of the Gulf Islands
Sky-watch picture of the day.

March is here, meaning Spring is less than a month away, and it sure felt like Spring today with the warm temperature and other clues.

Crocus ready for Spring
Crocus ready for Spring

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Warbling and/or presence of American Robins may be a sign of Spring for people in many areas. Not here in Vancouver though, since they are common all year round. Read more about them here (by Huckleberry Days).

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). Juncos are considered "snowbirds" of the mid-latitudes because they appear only during wintertime in eastern US. As spring arrives, they will return back to the mountains. Again, this does not apply to us here in Lower Mainland neither.

One good indication relevant to us here in Pacific Southwest is the migration of Snow Geese as they slowly fly back to Wrangel Island in the Arctic for Summer, a journey of more than 4000-km! Amazing! Read more about them here (by Huckleberry Days).

A cloud of Snow Geese
A breath-taking sight when hundreds of Snow Geese fly over you. And you also hope none of them will poop on you.

Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) in flight
I will surely miss these humble-looking animals as Winter leaves. Birder's Lounge had just posted an informative post regarding the overpopulation situation of Snow Geese here. I hope a more justifiable solution(s) will be implemented other than culling these beautiful birds.

More a more brighter note, there are other more subtle and interesting clues observed by Rock Paper Lizard that indicate the arrival of spring here.
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2 comments:

Cicero Sings said...

The big drip is the only indication that spring may actually be on the way. Even with the warm wind and warmer temps of the last two days ... still no bare ground to be seen. In our local paper, someone reported on seeing a robin ... I haven't seen one though. Last year, the red wing blackbird males arrived Feb 21st. No sign yet.

PSYL said...

Feb 21st, eh? Definitely a little late this year. They are thriving and being noisy here in Richmond though.

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