Spring comes to Ottawa

The last few days of preparation are upon us, testing of the Yellowbrick GPS tracking system going well with the right sort of information being displayed directly onto our blog – ANDEAN WILDLIFE PROJECT. South America beckons, it will be autumn when we arrive so the last few As the ice on the Ottawa river breaks so the Canada Geese arrive [/caption]ays has been great to watch the coming of Spring to the northlands.

As the ice on the Ottawa river breaks so the Canada Geese arrive

This winter has been so long and cold, the first snowstorms came in late November and continued up until early April but the last few weeks has seen a big melt, the rivers transforming their ice into gushing, tumbling cascades testing the flood banks and filling many a house basement.

 

Our house in Ottawa

It makes no difference to the wildlife, eons of time and more tumultuous events have never stopped their great migrations, warmth brings forth life. Last week American robins appeared overnight, they were not perturbed by the last snow flurry of the spring.

 American Robin

 No problem for the wildlife though, a Southern Lemming has been seen on Brewers park and Chipmunks as well. The emptiness and silence is being replaced by the honking of thousands of geese being propelled north towards their arctic breeding ground, Ducks, Eagles, Northern Harriers, Hawks and Falcons as well.

 

Canada Geese at a migration "stop-over" marsh

 

One of the most beautiful ducks in the World - the Wood Duck

These big brash birds are easily seen, not so the multitude of smaller birds such as the Sparrows, they along with countless others arrive unnoticed & blend into the landscape, each species filling its unique role in helping every other species the greatest jigsaw imaginable, the jigsaw of life.

A newly arrived  White-throated Sparrow.

A newly arrived White-throated Sparrow.

 

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