But what is a harbinger? I don’t
really know where the word comes from.
You’ll know, but I don’t. So I
looked it up.
Well, there is an archaic use of
harbinger. That is “a person sent ahead to provide lodgings.” I guess that is pretty much what Mister RWBG
is doing out there today. And the more
modern usage “something that foreshadows
a future event: something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come” seems to fit too. But it must be noted there is another
meaning i.e., “one that initiates a major change : a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new
activity, method, or technology.”
Anyway, I can report that there are many harbingers of
spring around Port Rowan/Long Point these days.
Long Point Bird Observatory
(LPBO) reports that great numbers of
birds are already arriving in Long Point
Bay. Tundra Swans, 1000’s of Canvasback and Redhead, & a good mix of other
species are here. There are still a lot of Sandhill Cranes around too. Karen saw big numbers landing in the fields
to the west of
us on Saturday evening.
Here is a recent listing from e-Birds that will give you an idea of
what has been seen in the area in recent days.
https://ebird.org/canada/subnational2/CA-ON-NF?yr=all
https://ebird.org/canada/subnational2/CA-ON-NF?yr=all