Seasonal adjustments

Late yesterday afternoon we saw some sandhill cranes flying over our property from the Carlos Avery wetlands near the Sunrise River. This morning the woods in front of the house were full of dark-eyed juncos, with some purple finches mixed in. It looked like the leaf litter had come alive and was dancing to the Spring breezes as the mini-micro-miniature "chickens" hopped and scratched and pecked their way among the tree trunks.

Also today, oak leaves that had remained attached throughout Winter are being evicted by the swelling buds of this year's leaves. Southerly gusts of wind are escorting them from the property. Keeping leaves throughout Winter is called marcescence. Here's a link to one of the better explanations we've found that begins to explain a phenomenon that leaves many scratching their heads.

Canada geese at pond's edge, 2014

Photo by J. Harrington

In the quarter-century or so that we've lived in this house, we've watched a "wet spot" in the back yard dwindle during droughty Summers and grow in wet Springs. This week's extant sets a record for the time we've been here. In some prior years it's been large enough to attract a pair of geese, at least temporarily. The goose on the right is standing about where this year's pond ends. The brush pile is in about the same location in each picture. Soon, the ice will be gone, replaced by the croaking of frogs. What other visitors we'll have remains to be seen.

the pond, early Spring 2019

Photo by J. Harrington

The Pond

By Amy Lowell

Cold, wet leaves

Floating on moss-coloured water   

And the croaking of frogs—

Cracked bell-notes in the twilight.

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