March program

Spring is definitely springing. I have crocuses flowering in my garden, and robins singing in my backyard. Not that long ago I saw my first great blue heron of the season, and yesterday I saw a number of turkey vultures!

All of this means, of course, that it's time for our annual Maple Syrup program at the sugar bush. I've sent out an email: remember, we're not at the nature centre this month! Also, I hope you guys bring along your appetites, because we're supplying hot dogs and buns for roasting over a maple-scented fire at the end of the program.

If you're coming, please let us know so that we can make sure to have enough food! Also, the sugar bush is really muddy at this time of year, so everyone should make sure to wear good footwear.

See you there!

sightings from January and February 2009

I have two months' worth of sightings to report here, thanks to the fact that I forgot the book at the Nature Centre last month.

January 2009

• snowy owl
• shrike
• fox
• northern harrier (marsh hawk)
• raccoon
• hawk (peregrine falcon?)
• 4 bald eagles
• cooper's hawk
• bay-breasted warbler??
• crows
• chickadee
• junco
• woodpecker
• nuthatches
• mourning doves
• white-winged crossbills
• pine siskins
• common redpoll

Not a bad list for what is generally regarded as a slow time of year! Same for the next one:

February 2009
From Cuba:

• palm warblers
• iguana
• very small boa constrictor

From Wings of Paradise:

• rice paper butterflies

From Canada:

• common redpoll
• pine siskins
• red-tailed hawk
• cardinal
• downey woodpecker
• red-bellied woodpecker
• ravens
• killdeer
• kestrels
• northern harrier
• skunk
• red-shouldered hawk
• raccoon (drunk on fermented plums!)
• mallard ducks

If you look at February's list, it's clear that our spring animals are starting to show up: killdeer, kestrels, and skunks are all either migrants or hibernators, and some of the very earliest signs of spring.

Good work Young Naturalists!

I'll be posting more information about our next program in a week or two.