An early arrival of tundra swans in north Lambton has some people wondering what's up.
Lambton Heritage Museum Spokesperson Gwen Watson says there are a couple hundred swans in the field behind the museum.
"It's hard to say, I doubt it's the actual migration starting, but we do have some swans in the area sitting quite far back in the fields right now," says Watson.
She says it's entirely possible, given the mild weather this winter, the birds haven't migrated as far south as normal.
"We've got open water in Lake Huron and Lake Erie, so perhaps they haven't migrated as far south as the Carolina's and they're staying in this area given the warmer weather," says Watson.
Watson says the earliest she's witnessed a full swan migration was the beginning of February.
"That's happened once in the last 30 years," she says. It would be much more normal to see them at the end of February or early March, for an early migration, with the regular time being mid to late March."
In 2012, 400 tundra swans landed just south of Kettle Point on February 2. Lambton Wildlife's Alf Rider said at the time he had never seen flocks arrive that early.
Watson says if you really want a good look at the birds, it's best to wait. She says right now they're flying in and out a lot and can only be seen well with binoculars.
Each year the tundra swans migrate some 6,500 km from the U.S. east coast to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic.
They rest and feed for two or three weeks in the Thedford bog area.
The museums "Return of the Swan's" festival will be held March 11 to April 2.
