Thursday, May 3, 2018

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
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
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



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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Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.

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