'Tis
the season for the flight of wings...of 4-footed friends...
the
salamander migration and bird tales.
Mother
Nature welcomes us: she has thawed the winter snows...
will
bring us refreshing raindrops...awakens the trees to birth their tiny
leaves...
and
induce humans to dream of gardens with colourful blooms,
of
summer berries and the harvesting of autumn's vegetables.
Springtime
is the land awakening!
King
Road to Close for Annual Jefferson Salamander Migration
No
Through Traffic on Road until April 1:
I'ts once again time for the annual migration of these salamanders.
The City of Burlington closed the roadway from the base of the
Niagara Escarpment to Mountain Brow Road March 11 until April 1 to
provide the endangered Jefferson salamander safe passage during its
annual breeding migration. The closure is a partnership between the
city and Conservation Halton. The Jefferson salamander is a
nationally and provincially-protected endangered species.
Fortunately, since the first full road closure in 2012, there has
been no road mortality observed by Conservation Halton staff during
the road closure period.
Coyotes
are Out and About:
A west Mountain school is advising parents of coyote sightings on
its property. Westview Senior Elementary issued the alert March 6,
saying coyotes are residing in the woods adjacent to the school and
have been sighted on the property while students are indoors. There
have been no reports when the animals are sighted ~ students and
staff are kept indoors as precaution.
Of interest, Burlington has coyote visitations also.
Man's
Best Friend
really may be this, especially to Miguel Guzman of Villa Carlos Pax,
Argentina. Although his owner passed away in 2008, the loyal dog,
Capitan, has stayed by his grave ever since. Capitan left the family
home shortly after the funeral and the family thought he was lost.
Veronica, the owner's wife, one day found him at her husband's
graveside. Because the dog won't leave, he has become a mascot of
loyalty to the cemetery workers who feed him and ensure he has vet
care if needed.
Fortunately,
the Donkey Was Very Co-operative:
Grant LaFleche resports from the St. Catharines Standard that
sometimes, the subject of a hard target search by police officers
isn't a hardened criminal hiding from the law. Sometimes, after
years of training and experience, often dealing with the worst people
have to offer, cops are called upon to corral a lost donkey. Early
Friday morning, Niagara Regional Police received a 911 call for an
unusual road hazard in Thorold. The call came in about 3 a.m. from a
motorist. The hazard was not a pothole or the lost payload from a
transport turck. It was a lost, light-brown donkey. Working with the
local humane society, police officers managed to corral the beast.
Apparently, the donkey was very co-operative...was returned to his
home without incident by the humane society after police got it off
the road. It demonstrates the varied nature of calls to which
officers are called upon daily to respond.
Olympic
Star Saving Canines from Dog-Meat Trade
Reported
by The Canadian Press, “Canadian skating figure skater Meagan
Duhamel strode slowly from cage to cage Thursday, greeting some of
Canada's newest arrivals from South Korea, at an emergency dog
shelter in Montreal. “You're
scared eh? That's OK,” she
said, reaching out a reassuring hand to a big golden-coloured dog
named Bear.
Duhamel
was on hand as Humane Society International 's (HSI) Canadian branch
detailed its latest operation, bringing more than 80 dogs to the
organization's emergency shelter in Montreal, from a farm in
Si-heung-si, The Olymipic star, who ended her competitive career in
the recent Winter Games in South Korea with a bronze medal in pairs
figure skating and a gold in a team event, added her voice to those
calling for an end to the dog-meat trade.
After inspecting many of the canines, Duhamel said it is
heart-breaking to see them when all they want is love. Some of the
dogs that were destined for the dinner plate were clearly suspicious
and scared of interacting wtih humans at the Montreal shelter. “But
there are others who are friendly and loving and I believe they'll
adjust very well into homes and a loving family,” said Duhamel, 32.
“I just hope they all find a home and people who will treat them
well.”
A senior campaign manager for HSI's Canadian branch
who was in South Korea for the recent removal, described the
conditions as deplorable.
“Multiple
dogs were crammed into tight quarters with fellow pups.They were
exposed to the elements and living off restaurant waste with no
water, no socialization or proper vet care.
Duhamel, a vegan for the past decade, has travelled extensively in
Asia over the past 15 years and had heard about dog meat being
readily available in South Korea and China. To help, she started by
making a monetary donation and volunteering to fly with dogs back to
North America.
That's how she ended up adopting Moo-tai, a miniature dachshund mix,
who was rescued from a South Korean farm a year ago.
HSI says there are 17,000 facilities in South Korea where some 2.5
million canines are raised for human consumption yearly. HSI has
helped shutter 11 dog-meat farms and rescued about 1,300 dogs in
South Korea.
Bird
Tales
(Shared stories about feathered friends that will truly amaze you.)
Tapping
the Tank:
Each day, this yellow-bellied sapsucker comes to drink at our oriole
feeder. Then when it's finished, it flies to a large propane tank
and taps like crazy. The sapsucker begins its routine in spring and
continues its pecking through the summer, several times a day!
(Marcie from Peterborough)
Tweet
Revenge:
As my husband and I sipped our coffee one morning, we watched a
squirrel scamper from our roof onto an overhanging tree limb. At the
same time, a blue jay swooped in to perch on the same branch. The
two startled each other so much that the squirrel fell to the ground,
stunned and the jay flew away. After a few minutes, the squirrel
returned and found a spot on our garage roof to sit and nibble on a
nut. That's when the blue jay emerged and flew right at the
bushy-tailed critter and gave it a sharp peck. I believe it got its
revenge! (Gretha from Florida)
Lost
and Found:
When my friend is having a bad day, she sits outside on her front
steps to observe the natural wildlife that surrounds her 40-acre
property. As she was trying to lift her mood one particularly
troubling morning, she noticed a baby bird hopping near her. It
seemed to purposely make its way right over to her. Then it threw
its head back, begging for food. My friend lifted the little bird up
into her hands and began to search for its nest. All the while, the
hungry little bird kept begging to be fed. Once she found the nest
and returned her wee feathered friend, she stepped back to ensure the
parents would return. After that, she felt better ~ and her problems
didn't seem so bad.
Nature always seems to have a way of balancing us out. (Dana from
Oklahoma)
Bern Williams concludes that the day the Lord created hope
was probably the same day he created Spring!
Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...March 20, 2018
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