Wow I am sure spring has finally arrived here in Vernon BC.
Vernon has very clear indicators that spring is officially here the first one being all the flowers are lazily popping their heads out of the soil waiting for the rays of warm sunshine to touch them. The second greatest indicator that is very unique to the area is the arrival of the great blue heron. Vernon has a large Heron Rookery near the local Walmart. The area was protected from development something we are extremely proud of. The Herons can be seen now doing what we call the dance of spring! Herons form monogamous pair bonds within the breeding season, but often switch mates each year. During the nesting season it is possible to differentiate between the sexes as the males develop longer plume feathers which grace their heads. Courtship behaviour is evident in late March and early April. Once pairs are bonded they are reinforced by choreographed behavioural displays which include "circle flights". These short flights start around the nest first by the male and soon the female joins him; their flight is unique as the birds fly with their necks fully extended, rather than folded back, as is normal. Copulation takes place at the nest site. More details on this subject can be found at http://www.trailsintime.org/html/herons.
Another indicator of the season change is the pairing and separating of the Coyotes in the outlying areas. Several weeks ago a older local coyote that we watch yearly arrived at the Visitor Centre with a obviously pregnant mate. This past week we spotted him hunting alone on the Department of Defence grounds. Spring has also arrived at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre. Even though the centre is not open until May 1 they are reporting playful resident Marmots romping around the compound.
With longer daylight hours and Okanagan sunshine the whole area comes to life at this time every year. The spring season in Vernon is often short lived as the climate is warmer than other regions of the province summer is upon the area within several weeks. So we encourage you to take a road trip and “Make Vernon Yours”!
