By Howard Williams

 Weather is always a topic of conversation and in March, we started lamb-like and then the lion roared in mid-March. Up and down – do we really want the certainty that comes with being further north, out of the various depression tracks that meander across southern Ontario? Probably not if you like spring in late March. I was made aware of an archaic term: APRICITY: the warmth of the sun on a winter’s day. Nice ring to it, eh? We should start using it again, though here in Windsor, it is March that has that pleasing combination of strong sun and cool weather.

For me, it is the arrival of Turkey vultures, gliding and tipping their wings over the city in early March, that is surely a sign of spring. I know some stay here in the winter, but not many. Similarly, Junco start trilling from the tree tops in March before they leave us to go north of the Great Lakes. By mid-April, those found in Jackson Park throughout the winter have largely gone, to be replaced by the similarly-sounding Chipping Sparrows.

One of the reasons for return visits is to spot first-flowering and other significant events. For example, in March I noticed small trumpet flowers (not the spidery ones) of Hamamelis virginiana var. virginiana, known also as Northern Witch- Hazel in Kopegaron. What I don’t know is if these are the remains of Fall flowers or whether the trees are confused.

I am constantly surprised and encouraged that SW Ontario does not have the same weed burden as Nova Scotia. For example, Coltsfoot is very common on disturbed land out east, but seems relative rare here. We saw some in early April at Holiday Beach, cheerful but invasive. By April, the city is swarming with Robins quartering the lawns, pairs of birds chasing each other, and a first for me, a Fox Sparrow in Jackson Park. The Cooper’s Hawk has been seen sporadically throughout the winter in Jackson Park, but as spring nears it has been seen more often, though, sadly it is not nesting there as it has done in previous years.

In mid-April, after the week-long summer, we held the first of the bi-weekly walks in Black Oak Heritage Park. Spring flowers are behind there relative to Maidstone and Kopegaron, with Virginia spring beauty, Wild lily-of-the-valley and Mayapple only in bud rather than actually flowering. One joy was a good look at an Eastern Towhee that co-operated for several minutes, posing for photographs. Eighteen bird species were seen by some.

Those detail-oriented members (pedants) who watch these things will have noticed that this year, the Arctic ice area maximum was slightly early this year, March 9th, and the total ice area was well down on all previous years. The weather has a real roller-coaster, what with the week-long summer in April, and the resurgence of winter in late-April – early May, plants are alternately subjected to the seasonal gas pedal and brakes. Spring is here in late-April, I have been eating local asparagus to prove it. One thing has been noticeable this Spring is the variation in the timing of blooms of wildflowers, some conservation areas are in full bloom, while others that might be expected to be in bloom, are not, and not just because of the proximity to one of the great Lakes. Holiday Beach seems to be far ahead of places in mid-Essex. Why?

I have enjoyed reading a Windsor Public Library book entitled: ‘Slow Birding – the art and science of enjoying birds in your own backyard’; written by Joan Strassmann and published by TarcherPerigree. The book is an entertaining review of scientific studies on sixteen bird species that all occur here in Canada as well as the United States. Each chapter includes aspects of variation, feeding, breeding, sexual adventures by both sexes, siblicide and brood parasitism. As an aid to increase an observer’s knowledge and consequent reward, each species chapter concludes with how to look at the species and what behaviours to note. Definitely recommended.

The Japanese have specific phrases or words that deal with their relationship with Nature. Hanami (flower viewing) for them is something that is so easy to do in Windsor that has so many flowering trees from the end of March onwards. Yes, a good many are exotic trees, but the native Serviceberry, various maples, Redbud (all in Jackson Park) and Northern Spicebush (Devonwood) come to their full glory in April. Get out there and admire them; better still, plant them in your gardens.

In mid-April, we held a pop-up at Talley’s Bush, and apart from the fact that I went to the wrong end and saw nobody, the others that bravely participated on the afternoon the short April summer ended and winter began again, were victims of the line squall – cold front that went through, delivering heavy rain, thunder and a marked drop in temperature. Just after the storm I was lucky enough to see American Toads basking in the warmth, some ‘in flagrante delicto, or are they just cuddling for warmth?

One of my favourite plants is Eastern Skunk Cabbage. It can be seen most easily at the bird-feeding bridge over the drain in Ojibway (Tom Joy Woods). In Nova Scotia it starts poking up through the snow by creating its own heat, but here in Windsor, snow in March seems to be comparatively rare, so one has to look for it through similarly-coloured leaf litter – much harder to spot.

This Spring we have been pleased to see many new wildflowers in Devonwood, such as Yellow Trout Lily and Cress.

For me, the end of April was a real downer when the bird feeder on my front lawn disappeared, probably stolen. Why would someone take a feeder, surely someone with heart enough to feed birds would have sufficient sympathy to leave those owned by others alone?

I am looking forward to our visit to Pelee Island in early May (see separate article). The trip, led by Dave Kraus, was excellent

My activity on May 13th was to lead one of the bi-weekly walks into Black Oak Heritage Woods while conducting part of my contribution to the Great Canadian (Baillie) Birdathon, amounting to a total of 4.5 hours birding, identifying 43 species in three trips within the City of Windsor limits. Not a record-breaker by any means. Chasing the warblers in Black Oak were probably the most enjoyable and frustrating part of my birdathon, the Common Grackle in Devonwood was more amenable to being photographed.

We spent a few days in the Bruce Peninsula in late May, enjoying the multitude of warblers, many for the first time. Merlin is such a help in the many cases where only a flash of the hyperactive birds is seen. Sadly, in late May, only a few orchids were seen but the Laurentian Primrose were in full bloom on the various alvars we visited.

I end this piece with the knowledge that Summer has now arrived in Windsor, Eastern Wood Pewee have been heard in Jackson Park.