A sure sign of spring has landed in north Lambton.
About 500 tundra swans were spotted off Lakeshore Road between Outer Drive and Port Franks Road earlier this week.
Lambton Heritage Museum Education Program Coordinator Colleen Inglis said the birds may be the scouts for the annual migration with the main flock still to come.
"Last year for about two weeks, there were quite a large number -- there were thousands of birds. I think March 4 was the first day that they arrived last year, so it's the same time of year."
Inglis said depending on the year, as many as 15,000 birds rest and feed for two or three weeks in the Thedford Bog area.
"I think it kind of depends on whether they all come at once and you see really large groups of them, or whether they're spread out over a longer period of time. There are other spots in southwestern Ontario where they stop too, so it probably depends on the weather and what the food and water is like in the field."
Inglis said people come back year after year to see the majestic birds.
"It's really exciting to see them, and I think it's also that people are ready for it to be spring and this is something that kind of marks spring and makes you think 'maybe the nice weather is just around the corner,'" said Inglis. "And they're really magnificent, large birds that are unusual to see, and sometimes you can see them fairly close from the road, so you can get a good view."
More Tundra Swan information, including a migration calendar, can be found here.
