Spring is here
Wildlife also confused by the strange weather
Spring has arrived, but what a strange and different manner in which it came this year.
We had the warmest February on record and the beginning of March was following that trend too, but now that spring has officially arrived the temperature has plummeted and as I sit here to write my column we are expecting one of the bigger snowstorms of this year.
It has made it very different and sometimes challenging when I am out photographing wildlife. Many of the birds and animals are not where they usually are and are not behaving as they normally do at this time of year. I am sure some of them are as confused as we are by the strange weather.
One of my favourite things to do at this time of year is to visit the edges of our waterways to photograph the waterfowl that passes through our area on their way north to their breeding grounds. It is fun to watch the action as the migrating ducks stop over to rest and replenish themselves.
Many of them are beginning to enter their breeding season, so there is lots of action. They hang around the edges of the ice in the coves and bays often diving under it to catch fish or spend time up on the ice preening and cleaning their feathers. Only thing is, this year the ice is all gone off the lakes and rivers and many of the ducks have not even arrived yet.
I have been scouting out the shorelines nevertheless and there is still action happening. With the spring sunshine and everything beginning to come to life, one sometimes sees some very picturesque scenes.
Mallards are one of the most common ducks in our area and one of the easiest to photograph because they are often quite comfortable with people close by. They are sometimes ignored by photographers, but if you get one in the right light with a nice background they can make for a beautiful picture.
Same goes for the Canada geese. They are everywhere, but at this time of year it can be very exciting to photograph them. They are beginning their mating rituals and are quite territorial, not to mention quite loud! I got in the middle of a dispute between several pairs one morning this week and the action was spectacular. Water was flying everywhere.
The swans are also beginning to mate and build nests. I saw a couple of pretty good battles with them too, but the best photo I got of the swans was a very peaceful and serene cleaning and preening session with a very relaxed pair on a quiet river.
Other ducks are arriving too. I saw my first wood ducks pairing up and they were surprisingly co-operative about having their photos taken. Usually they are gone before one can get the camera on them. They are so beautifully colourful, they are always a pleasure to photograph.
One other oddball I caught passing through was a long-tailed duck. It is easy to see where they get their name. I always find the males faces look like puppy dogs. These little divers can reach underwater depths of 200 feet and do it by swimming underwater with their wings rather than their feet.
I am surprised I haven’t seen a great blue heron or an osprey or a loon yet, but any day now they will be arriving. It is a wonderful time of year to get out and enjoy nature here in our beautiful Kawartha Lakes region.