Thousands of tundra swans have landed early at the Thedford Bog, behind the Lambton Heritage Museum in Grand Bend.
The museum’s education program coordinator, Colleen Inglis, said she noticed a large number of swans for the first time last Thursday, and by Tuesday there were a couple thousand in the field.
"It's interesting because this is earlier than we would normally see the swans returning from their winter migration," said Inglis. "I would expect that there would be more coming. Usually, it's closer to the middle of March when they start to arrive."
Inglis believes the warmer-than-usual temperatures this winter may be at play.
"It's been quite mild and we actually saw a couple hundred swans in the fields in the middle of January. So, it seems like they really hadn't left too much of the area at all. They definitely can be affected by the weather."
The majestic birds usually feed and rest at the bog and are visible on both sides of Greenway Road, which is County Rd. #5, just north of the museum.
"If you're eager to see them, there are definitely swans to see and I could see that there were more arriving. It's hard to say when they might peak. Last year, there was quite a narrow window, they were only really in the area for about two weeks, but other years they've been in the area for about a month or so. So, it can be really tricky to predict."
Inglis said updates on the 2023 migration are posted to their online calendar.
"We'll keep track of what we see close to the museum and update that regularly, or you can always call the museum and see what our findings have been that way."
Inglis encourages everyone coming to see the swans to bring binoculars and to stop in and see the tundra swan exhibit on display at the museum.