Celebrate spring: get out, explore and watch for birds

Story by Katharine Fletcher; images by Eric Fletcher

Finally. This long, cold winter is over. Warm temperatures have melted snow, and now the air is filled with a chorus of birdsong. Over there, a robin sings. Above, Vs of Canada geese do their flyovers and, if you’re quiet, perhaps you’ll even hear their wingbeats!

Regardless of whether or not you’re a keen birdwatcher, there’s no better way to fill your lungs with the season’s fresh air and get some good exercise, than to head outside and watch for wildlife.

As ice recedes from lakes and watercourses, wading birds such as great blue herons can be found. Mallards, goldeneye, bufflehead and other ducks join the activity, paddling and dabbling. And, if we’re lucky, we may hear loons flying overhead, returning to their home lakes and rivers.

Finally, songbirds arrive: Baltimore orioles, catbirds, indigo buntings. These and others such as woodcocks, snipes, and whip-poor-wills join resident birds, all competing for nesting territory and food.

Because of the Ottawa region’s rich biodiversity, we are well-placed to find many areas to explore which offer us splendid sightings.

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Published in Ottawa’s Young@Heart newspaper, April issue, 2014.
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