Arriving migrants #phenology

It took but a few hours for one of the local gray squirrels to discover the tray feeder we hung yesterday in hopes of pleasing indigenous cardinals and migrating scarlet tanagers and arriving grosbeaks. [We just noticed the first male rose-breasted grosbeak at the perch feeder, which probably shows how much we know.] When we notice a squirrel helping itself, we often open the deck door. The dogs enjoy chasing the squirrel and the rodent stays out of their reach by running across the deck railing. We'll see who first gets tired of this game. We suspect it will be the feeder filler who opens the door for the dogs.

the grosbeaks are returning

Photo by J. Harrington

This morning we made a fresh batch of nectar and filled an oriole/hummingbird feeder for the rear deck and a separate hummingbird feeder for in front of the house. If we remember correctly, this will soon please the downy woodpeckers as much as the intended birds. One of the neighborhood wild hen turkeys has begun to regularly visit the area under the front feeder. Male goldfinches are now almost all in chrome yellow breeding colors. One or more male red-winged blackbirds is back visiting the sunflower feeders. For the past few days, several species of frogs have been calling around the wet sport in the back yard. It is Spring! Finally!

hen turkey scratching under front feeder

Photo by J. Harrington

This afternoon we pick up our first Spring share box from the Community Supported Agriculture farm we're members of. Although we got lots of Spring snow a few weeks back, we need some rain. Things are dry enough that we won't even consider burning last Winter's brush pile. Since we plan on pulling more buckthorn, we suspect we'll still have plenty to fuel a Summer Solstice blaze even if we've torched the current pile.

Words are Birds

By Francisco X. Alarcón

words

are birds

that arrive

with books

and spring

they

love

clouds

the wind

and trees

some words

are messengers

that come

from far away

from distant lands

for them

there are

no borders

only stars

moon and sun

some words

are familiar

like canaries

others are exotic

like the quetzal bird

some can stand

the cold

others migrate

with the sun

to the south

some words

die

caged—

they're difficult

to translate

and others

build nests

have chicks

warm them

feed them

teach them

how to fly

and one day

they go away

in flocks

the letters

on this page

are the prints

they leave

by the sea

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