After all, Spring is just a heartbeat away, right? But, as I am writing this post, the winds are howling, snow flurries are flitting about and I wonder why our Summer-like weekday weather vanishes every weekend. It’s no joy to mark miles when 35 mph/56 kph winds are gusting. But, on the other hand, seeing the tornado damage that ravaged some states earlier this week, I remain grateful to be unscathed by wicked weather.
Calendar-wise, Spring IS just around the corner – Tuesday, March 19th. I don’t know about you, but when I was a little nipper I’m sure the four seasons landed on the 21st, i.e. Spring was March 21st; Summer was June 21st; Autumn was September 21st and Winter was December 21st.
Query: was this a Canadian thing? Or, were our elementary school teachers just keeping it simple for us youngsters?
I resorted to Googling to ask when March 21st stopped being the first day of Spring. At the Freep (a/k/a The Detroit Free Press, one of Detroit’s daily newspapers), I learned: “Due to time zone differences, there hasn’t been a March 21st equinox in mainland U.S. during the entire 21st century …. we won’t see a March 21st equinox again until 2101.”
Hmm – I guess I won’t put that date on my calendar then.
So there are big doin’s on March 19th (that is, if you have recovered from your St. Paddy’s Day festivities today).
1 – The Spring equinox officially arrives in the Northern Hemisphere at 11:06 p.m. EDT.
2 – It is St. Joseph’s Day.
3 – The Swallows return to Capistrano. These are Cliff Swallows and, like clockwork, they return every March 19th to nest in the eaves of the old Mission San Juan Capistrano, in San Juan Capistrano, California. They were vacationing in Goya, Argentina, having departed the Mission the prior October.
According to the Mission’s website, this tradition was started by Father O’Sullivan in the 1920s at Mission San Juan Capistrano when he “invited” the Swallows to nest at the old Mission after seeing a local shopkeeper, who was angry with the Swallows nesting in the eaves of his shop; he began to destroy all the nests by poking them to the ground with a broomstick. The Swallows were understandably upset, squealing and squawking as eggs or their young were in those nests. But Father O’Sullivan said: “come on Swallows – I’ll give you shelter. Come to the Mission. There’s room enough there for all.”
While I was on a 10-day tour of the California coast in October 1980, one of the attractions we visited was the Mission. I have a photo taken there, but not with the Swallows. This is Lillian and Ray, two fellow Michiganders, that were in the tour group with me.
Unfortunately, it was poor planning to visit the Mission in October because the Swallows had already migrated to their Winter destination.
I never thought much about that missed opportunity to view those famous Swallows at Capistrano until I began taking photos for my blog.
I eagerly await the return of Michigan’s Barn Swallows.
At Lake Erie Metropark there are Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows, but it is the Barn Swallows that fascinate me most because 99% of the time they are in motion, swooping, diving, catching insects in mid-air. In the earliest excursions to this venue, I’d try to take photos of the Swallows in motion, but I would return home with pictures of black dots and the marsh.
Sometimes they’d take a wee breather on the reeds, so I’d quickly take a photo.
Then, one hot, humid Summer morning, as I approached the wooden overlook near Cove Point where the Swallows impress me with their acrobatics, I found them at rest. They didn’t see me, so there they were, perched along the branches of a long-dead tree. That was about three years ago, so now this is always a stop every trip to this park and I try to stay still to observe and photograph them.
Like the Capistrano Cliff Swallows, Michigan’s Barn Swallows also migrate to warmer climates in Latin America for the Winter, so they are only here from April through early September.
I was surprised to learn we have seven types of Swallows in the Mitten State and even have Cliff Swallows, but on my marsh meanders I only see Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows.
I picked out some of my favorite photos from 2023 of the Barn Swallows – sometimes they were social with one another, but at times, let’s just say they had a bit of an attitude with me, or each other …
… and they were vocal at times as well.
Other times they were cute munchkins.
I am not joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s March 17th Challenge “Sunrise, Sunset” today, as I have no sunset photos and only a handful of sunrise photos, but I will participate this Wednesday, with my favorite just-past-sunrise shots. This Wednesday marks four years since I began my weekly Wordless Wednesday posts and have gone without missing a single week.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
What wonderful photos you were able to capture of the swallows. I especially like the one where they didn’t see you. They are lovely little birds and so fun to watch.
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Thank you Rebecca. I was so happy to see them sitting still for a change! I got one swallow picture at Heritage Park last year – it was resting at the covered bridge. But this day, what luck to find them all together. They are so cute and animated and reminded me of pet birds I’ve had over the years.
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let’s see……..at a posting every week for four years, that would be 52×4= 208
Pretty good track record Linda!
Love the munchin Swallows!
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Glad you liked my feathered friends Wayne. They usually move like the wind, so this was a lucky encounter for me. I have been having fun with Wordless Wednesday and yes, that’s a lot of posts. It gives me a chance to spotlight favorite photos, especially since my other posts run so long and are so picture-laden.
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Luck favours the one who gets out there
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Yes indeed – it was nice and peaceful, no one around. That’s a busy overlook for anglers and they get there fairly early. Most of the anglers there are catch-and-release. In fact I think I still have photos not used in a post yet from Summer with a fisherman and his catch, just before he threw it back into the marsh. He was there with a buddy and the buddy showed me how a fish had learned to bite the worm but not get hooked. He dropped a line three times in a row while I was chatting with his friend and that happened. He said “it had to be the same fish that was ‘playing’ with him while filling its belly.”
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I always slid the worm straight onto the hook.
The shape was identical to the hook. no overhang.
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Maybe since the guy was throwing back the fish, he was being kind to the worm too? He showed me where the fish bit off the worm, but left enough on the hook so the fisherman could see it.
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The excellent photography. Beautiful look swallows. I like. Birds!
You have good start week,Linda!
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Thank you Raj – I am glad you like the photos. I like birds too and the small ones reminded me of the pet birds I had most of my life. You enjoy your upcoming week as well.
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You are most welcome, Linda 😊
Which ones bird remind you?
Thanks!
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Well Raj, especially the one with the most peach color on its chest. It was all fluffed up and reminded me of my pet birds, especially the canaries. Did you have a favorite bird in the post?
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Your especially the one with the most peach color on its chest. I like it! My favourite is Frist one,Linda 🙂
Every day she saw the goose fluff up her nest, turn the eggs, then settle back down to wait patiently. For instance, the way a cat’s coat will fluff up when they are scared or frightened, making them look bigger to another animal.
“I’ll just fluff up your pillows for you.”!
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I liked the close-ups too Raj including the first one. The youngsters are cute. Before you followed me, I was lucky to be at Heritage Park on Easter Sunday and saw a Mother Canada Goose step off her nest for a few minutes. There was no one around as it was Easter Sunday morning. She didn’t see me as I stood on the covered bridge walkway. She came back to the nest with all the eggs and plucked out some downy feathers to let them drift down around the eggs. It had been very chilly and I went back the following week and the nest and eggs were gone – soon afterward I saw mom with her goslings and got more photos. I will send you the link to the post with these photos in a separate comment.
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Here you are Raj – I felt lucky to see everything here:
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Thanks, Linda Shar it’s link you post. After next few time I visit & read Mother’s day!
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Beautiful pic
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Thank you vermavkv – glad you liked it.
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Congratulations on your faithfulness with posting on Wednesday.
I enjoyed today’s photographs.
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Thank you Anne – I really enjoy posting on Wordless Wednesday as it gives me a chance to spotlight some nature photos or use fun photos, rather than including them in an already-long Sunday post.
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Oops, I linked thinking there were sunrises here, Linda. I unlinked but will link your WW post this week once you publish. It’s late, we just got home from a family event. Great shots of all those swallows. I rarely see them perch so this is cool to see. We get the violet-green swallows here that swoop and dive like no one’s business, and are not easy to photograph. Twice the darn things have swooped into our woodstove pipe in our family room and twice I’ve rescued them.
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Terri – No problem – I wanted to participate, but could not fill a Sunday post; but maybe a down-the-road sunrise/sunset challenge, I’ll have something hopefully. I was happy when these swallows rested on the branches. I especially liked the younger ones. I’ve not had swallow issues, but I have a robin who tries to build a nest in the coach light “bend” every Spring and so I have to block the area and then the sparrows build nests in the patio eaves. They’ve already started that – I can hear them. Glad you liked the photos; it was nice not to come home with dots!
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Lovely pictures of swallows.
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Thank you Anne – I’m glad you liked them. They are quite “flighty” (pardon the pun), so I am happy they settled down and posed.
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I enjoyed reading the lessons you shared and seeing the photo from 1980. I always check the calendar to see when the first day of spring, summer, fall, and winter is, but I have memories of learning that they were always on the 21st. 🤔 We don’t see the swallows or Martins land much here either. I adore the photos you captured, way to be there and catch them doing their cute poses! Congratulations on 4 straight years of WW!!! That’s a huge accomplishment, well done!
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Thank you Shelley. I remember when we visited the Mission on this California tour that we had a guide who gave a good tutorial and apologized for the Swallows having departed. 🙂 I noticed the equinox being on the 20th a lot, but this one on the 19th really had me wondering. Isn’t that strange that we always remember it on the 21st? I really liked the smallest Swallows – they were cute and that one three-part series of the two Swallows – they kept looking at one another, but the other one was looking the other way … kind of like when you have an argument with someone, but want to make up again. Thank you re: WW – I like it as I can showcase a favorite shot or two that would get buried in a long post, or do something funny with a funny headline. My first WW was four years ago today, at Dingell Park, with some seagulls sitting on the ice and the headline was: “Shiver on the River #Wordless Wednesday #Hey Mum: My bum and toes are cold!”
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We shall see if the 19th makes a big difference over the 20th. 🤔 It is odd that we both remember the 21st. For me it’s likely that I had family members with birthdays around the date of the 21st.
Birds can be so fun to watch, you captured their antics well.
That’s a cute kick off to your WW adventures, very clever title!
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My friend Ann Marie also commented that the 21st for Spring was how she knew it. Oh well. The young birds here were very cute. Having had pet birds over the years, they are much more intelligent and loving than people would think. Glad you liked the title for WW post #1 🙂
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I asked my hubby if he remembered that too, and he said he did. 🤔
No wonder you have a knack for getting cute photos, you understand bird behaviors!
🥰😍
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I’m glad it was not just me – whew! 🙂 Well, birds have fun behaviors sometimes. We never had a canary until we took care of Marge’s canary while she went to Arizona to visit her mom when her mom was very ill. She was gone over three weeks. I was supposed to just go feed it and give it water every night after I got home from work, but it was cold and dark in the house (late October), so my mom told me to wrap up the cage in a blanket and bring him over here. We loved on him and spoiled him so when he finally went home and didn’t sing or play – just sat there, so Marge gave him to us. 🙂 After he passed away, I got Buddy but only had him four years and he had a stroke. We had some really fun parakeets thru the years, which I could probably write about for Terri’s pet post (though I have touched on those pets thru the years).
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I bet you could write another post about what tips you learned taking care of birds and what you loved about it. Or share some photos of your birds in a WW post. 🤷🏻♀️
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Funny you say that Shelley, because I was going to just use the smaller barn sparrows that I had close-ups of and use a few of my pet pictures and say that they remind me of my canaries especially. Then I learned St. Joseph’s Day, Spring and Swallow Day were the same day this year, so I went with that angle instead. I have some more Barn Swallow pics from a walk that I’ve not used yet. (At least I think I’ve not used them yet – I have to check as I might have forgotten to delete them from my Gmail where I store them.) I’m watching for Mrs. Cardinal in April to see if she returns to nest. Probably not as I was a thorn in her side taking photos. 🙂
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Having plenty of bird fodder is so fun. Our cardinals have stuck around all winter. We’ve never seen where they nest, you were lucky to see yours when you did!
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I watch the barberry bush but no sign yet and the 2023 nest is history. It was pretty raggedy when the chicks fledged, so they’d have to build another one from scratch. I’ve been watching the Huron Metroparks Photographers Facebook site. I look at all the great photos from the various Metroparks, mostly Kensington and there are some fantastic shots of Hawks, Eagles and especially Great Blue Herons in the rookery there, all carrying twigs in their beaks or feet to help make nests. There are a pair of Long-eared Owls and that park has put up a bucket so that they could nest there – they take turns sitting on the nest and all the photographers try to get photos of the one owl when it goes for food.
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It sounds like you’re right about the nest being history.
You have so many cool park areas around with great photo ops! I’m envious and I look forward to seeing what photos you get of the birds this year. I hear the owls, but have rarely seen them here. That would be so cool to see!
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I’d be happy just to hear the owls, let alone see them. 🙂 I only see the owl at Oakwoods Metropark (Radar, the Great Horned Owl). At the FB site I follow, they don’t have photos from Lake Erie Metropark all that much, but someone took photos of an owl there – people asked where he saw it but he didn’t say and it might have just been passing by.
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I hope you get to see/hear them in the wild some day. 🦉
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I hope so too!
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Amazing barn swallow photo shoot, Linda!! The munchkin shots were so sweet, you captured an aspect of their personalities I’ve never seen before. I also liked the ones with their mouths open and vocalizing.
That’s very interesting about the equinox not coming on the 21st again until 2101. I read this in an email this morning: “Since 2024 is a leap year, the Vernal Equinox will occur in our time zone on March 19th, NOT on the 20th. This first happened in 2020 and shall remain so during leap years for decades to come.” Another thing I found interesting, because of the time zones, my European wall calendar says the spring equinox is March 20th this year, at least it is in Europe!
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Thanks Barbara! This was fun as I don’t think they saw me as they posed so nicely on the branches. The munchkins are so cute and reminded me of my own pet birds I’ve had through the years, especially that one peach-colored munchkin that was all fluffed up. Those two younger birds with their mouths open wide had voices that were just tiny squeaks. 🙂 Now that is interesting about the Vernal Equinox falling tomorrow due to a leap year. The article I read must not have been on a leap year and that makes sense – I never thought about that aspect or I sure would have mentioned it. It surprised me that there are no Vernal Equinox March 21st events until 2101.
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That surprised me, too.
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Swallows often build nests where you don’t want them, like on top of a porch ceiling fan.
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Those nests are big and messy too. The Swallows build nests in the rafters of the covered bridge at Heritage Park up in the corner and they are messy with droppings. I have issues with Sparrows and Robins with their nest-building activities in unwelcome spots at the house.
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St. Joseph’s Day! I didn’t know about this. So many saints, so many days for each. Congrats on your 4 year anniversary for doing a Wednesday post. You gotta celebrate every success.
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I know – lots of saints Ally. And Dave (“Life in a Word”) just wrote about St. David a few weeks ago. I am Catholic, but although I was baptized I never made my confirmation or communion. Growing up, my mom sent me to Sunday School with my best friend at the time as my father didn’t want to get up on Sunday for church and Mom didn’t drive. When I visited this Mission, we got quite a tutorial and an apology that the Swallows had departed for the Winter. 🙂 I really like the Wordless Wednesday feature as I can spill over some photos from my long posts, or use funny photos with a quip as well. You’re right – celebrate every success!
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Happy almost spring! I wonder how the swallows know when it’s March 19 so that they can return to Capistrano. Especially during a Leap Year! I enjoyed seeing all of your swallow photos. They are one of my favorite birds. I enjoy seeing them swoop overhead. One time, my regular running route must have gone past some swallow nests, because I regularly got divebombed by adult tree swallows!
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Same back at you Laurie – we soon can plan our days with no worries of snow or ice to ruin our runs/walks. I wonder how the swallows know when to return as well – it’s not like they have a calendar, especially in a leap year. Another blogger mentioned leap year messing up the dates for the equinox – I had not thought of that. I’ve been divebombed by a red-winged blackbird who saw me about to walk near the body of his youngster on the perimeter path. I thought the adult was coming close to me for peanuts, because they eat them and I often will throw one to them, just as I would to a jay or cardinal. Then I got close and saw the body – that bird was buzzing around me and getting close. A fellow walker witnessed it and said it happened to him on his first trip around too. I didn’t go around that part of the path and the body was gone the next day.
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Congratulations on resolutely accomplishing your Wordless Wednesday posts– without fail for so long, Linda. Well done! I too love birds and enjoyed your photos of the swallows. I just joined the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and am looking forward to learning how to identify bird calls. So often in summer and early fall I can hear a bird among all our trees but can’t see it!
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Thank you Nancy – it is fun doing the WW feature as it is a chance to spotlight some photos that would get lost in my long, picture-laden posts. Or sometimes I photograph something funny and can use a quip with it. I like doing this feature. I was lucky getting the swallow pictures as they were resting for a change – usually they are just a blur as they are catching insects in mid-air and I think that they have nests beneath the wooden overlook. Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a nice e-letter they send out and I get it as I contribute my bird list during the Backyard Bird Count. The articles are interesting, so I am sure you will be getting the same e-newsletter – if not, let me know and I’ll forward what I get to you and you can subscribe to it. They also send out a Team ebird newsletter. That’s a great way to listen to birdcalls and identify them, especially when they hide in the trees!
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Yes, Linda, I’m getting the newsletter from Cornell. Thank you for letting me know about it–just in case!
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OK, you’re welcome Nancy. I am behind on reading them, so I knew I had several I could pass along to you. Enjoy!
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Lovely post, Linda. I too always thought 20th was the first day of spring as my father always claims he is a spring chicken as its his birthday . The swallow photos sound beautiful. Well done on 4 years of sharing on a Wednesday ❤️
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Thank you Zena – I am glad you liked the post. What a lovely way to always remember your father’s birthday as Spring arrives on “his” day. I am enjoying doing the Wordless Wednesday feature – after writing such long and picture-laden posts on Sundays, it is nice to create a much-smaller post with nature photos or something unusual or funny.
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In grade school, California students learn (at least long ago when I attended) all about the missions. In my class, we were all assigned one of the missions to study, draw, and write a report about. I was assigned Capistrano and, since then, I’ve always considered it “my” mission. Although I’ve visited it several times, I never experienced the return of the swallows.
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That’s interesting Janis. We had a guide that day who gave us a tour and lecture on the legend of the swallows and even apologized that they had departed for the season. I guess the swallows depart and return like clockwork, a feat which is pretty amazing in itself.
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I didn’t know that about the equinox either Linda! I love your Barn Swallow pictures. They are such a beautiful bird and I love watching them fly!
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I was amazed to read that Diane – I guess we won’t be around to have it fall on the 21st “for old time’s sake”. This post’s pictures was the most success I have had with those Barn Swallows that are continually in motion. They sure know how to dip and dive!
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I love your collection of swallow photos! How cool you went to the mission, even sans swallows. I enjoyed the tale about how they became residents. Swallow nests can be quite a nuisance, I suppose.
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Thank you Eilene – I was happy to come home with more than just black dots over the marsh for a change. When I toured the Mission, we were told the story and the guide apologized that the swallows had departed. I was happy to find their website gave information on the history of why the swallows are there to refresh my memory to write this post. I think these swallows build their nests beneath the wooden overlook. At Heritage Park, they build in the rafters of the covered bridge. I got a photo once of several babies looking at me from their nest. 🙂
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Miss Linda……………………………..I always thought Spring started on the 21st too………………….Yes I get excited about it being Springtime today…………………………………..this morning it was very windy and cold walking……………………I’ll look for the Barn Swallows…………………………….no I couldn’t see any of your pictures
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Ann Marie – why are they changing things on us all the time? It sure didn’t feel like Spring this morning – miserable cold and blustery and Friday we’re getting an inch or two of snow. You couldn’t see these photos in the post? I ask that as that happens to me occasionally to, but exiting out and returning seems to correct the issue.
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“Tornado” and “wicked” in the same paragraph… I see what you did there, Linda 🙂 In that respect, better to live in Michigan than Kansas. You were once a “little nipper”, huh? Pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve heard that phrase. As for Capistrano, I rode the coastal train regularly as a kid, from our home in the suburbs of Los Angeles to our vacation house in North San Diego County. Capistrano was always a highlight stop because they made a big deal of the arriving trains. There always seemed to be a band, mariachis, and a decorated depot, as if every arrival was somehow worth a celebration. Never saw the swallows but certainly knew about their annual migrations. California history was a required class in grade school. We learned a lot about the Spanish explorers, and of course the network of missions throughout the state.
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Dave, I hope we never have another night like August 24th last year – seven tornadoes touching down nearby in one evening made me a “Nervous Nellie” and the weather folks are already talking about 2024 being our hottest Summer on record, so likely it will be filled with volatile weather. I do appreciate not living in Kansas, Arkansas too. A fellow blogger who lives in Arkansas told me about their “hidey hole” they go to. It’s her daughter’s tornado shelter in her home. If you never heard “little nipper” used for a youngster, did you hear the description of “knee high to a grasshopper”? There was some fanfare at the Mission and we had a wonderful tour with apologies by the guide that the swallows were gone. They will have a large celebration in this town this weekend in conjunction with the swallows’ return to Capistrano. California history is more interesting that Michigan’s evidently as we never learned any local history.
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“Knee-high to a grasshopper” – definitely 🙂
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I love some of those old-time expressions. 🙂
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I hadn’t realized that the equinox had changed dates! I know that oddly enough it’s on a different day in Australia-or they keep insisting that fall and spring come on different days. Lovely birds as always!
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I don’t get it either … what was wrong with keeping it at the 21st. I never thought about Leap Year until someone mentioned that in a comment, but this makes no sense at all!
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That’s a lot of Wednesday posts! Congratulations Linda 🙂
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Thanks Susan – it works well for me as I can skim a few photos from my long walks as they are already picture-laden posts.
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Thank you! I always remember the equinoxes as being on the 21st as well. I’m glad I’m not alone! Lovely photos, as always.
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I am glad I am not the only one who grew up thinking that Linda – why did they change it? Glad you liked the photos. I don’t have any sunrises with the fiery-looking sun. Hopefully one day!
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I am another who remembers that the seasons changed on the 21st of the appropriate month, so thanks for the explanation of why this information seems to have become outdated. I am not sure about you, but my area saw a little bit of all kinds of weather in March.
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I’m glad so many bloggers remember the 21st being the arrival date of each new season, including you JP. This makes no sense to me. March was a bad month and I thought of you again, along with three bloggers who live in Ohio, who were getting that bad weather a few nights ago, almost the same scenario as in mid-March. I hope your house and your big rig/you remained unscathed. This volatile weather is becoming a nightmare, not just here but worldwide. I saw photos of the Taiwan earthquake – just amazing.
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