Burlington, ON. February 11 2025. We are, I think, quicker to greet the return of something lost than notice its earlier fading. This is particularly so for those of us who live where winter holds fast, and signs of spring are precious. This is mid-February, the ground is hard and snow covered and another winter storm is approaching.
Today I noted two signs of spring: One, and the most convincing, was a male Northern Cardinal singing. The range of Northern Cardinals has expanded northward for the last century or so, they were not to be found around here before 1930. Of all the Canadian provinces, only Ontario can safely be considered as within the cardinal’s range, but there are increasing sightings of them in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. It is thought that the primary factors for the species expansion are: warmer climate, lesser snow depth, human encroachment into forested areas, and the proliferation of back yard bird feeders.
But what about to that singing male. All it takes is a discernable increase in daylight length, a day of sunshine and somewhere a male cardinal will stake his claim to an expanse of urban back yards as his territory. All he needs now is a susceptible female, and she was almost certainly nearby and listening. His song is perhaps best described as a loud assembly of clear pure-toned notes, to me it’s peter peter peter – tew tew tew. He was my Bird of the Day for bringing a hint of the spring to come.
My next sign of spring could well have been more in my imagination that real. It was noticing the growing flush of red-orange in the stems of roadside Red Osier Dogwoods, you know, the ones with long, whippy twigs common along highway ditches and marsh margins. In the height of summer those stems are a deeper burgundy-red though usually overwhelmed by rank vegetation and roadside litter. They (and many willow species) seem to glow in the sun as winter gives way, it makes it as a herald of spring.
The Northern Cardinal was quite good enough.