Spring hasn’t (officially) sprung until the vernal equinox on Wednesday, but a local wildlife preserve is celebrating the change of the seasons a little early, thanks to a special guest.
Oak Hammock Marsh announced its first Canada goose of the spring on social media Monday afternoon. The goose appeared just after 1 p.m.
The marsh, located around 20 km north of Winnipeg, near Stonewall, has kept track of the season’s first goose for over 20 years.
This year’s goose is actually a little later than a few of its predecessors: in 2017, the first goose was at Oak Hammock Marsh by Feb. 21, with the spring arrival happening by March 3 last year.
The latest recorded goose was in 1998, when the bird didn’t make an appearance until the morning of March 28.