Return of the Swans

In a good year, there may be 15,000 individual birds resting on the bog, attracted by the melt water of spring and the remnants of the prior year’s corn crop. The first sound to be heard is the soft hoo-hoo-hoo, as the Tundra Swans glide effortlessly down to feed on flooded fields that mark the bottom of old Lake Smith.

The Lambton Shores area is fortunate to have a natural ‘staging’ place for the tundra swans behind the Lambton Heritage Museum property. This land is locally known as the Thedford Bog. Before it was drained for farming, this huge wetland was a stop-over for migrating birds. Each spring the fields continue to flood and the corn and bean stubble from the previous year’s harvest provides food for the birds. Depending on weather and field conditions, visitors can sometimes see thousands of swans, ducks and geese in their natural habitat. It is always best to call ahead or check the website as the swans can arrive as early as mid-February or as late as mid-March.

Swan Viewing Map

One of the best places to view the swans is behind the museum along Greenway and Goosemarsh Roads. Bring your binoculars as the swans are sometimes a good distance back from the road.