Bloomings and hatchlings #phenology

Yesterday, early, I drove past a hen turkey and her clutch of poults. They were working their way through the roadside weeds and grasses and lots of common milkweed in bloom. So far this year that's the first and only sign of turkey nesting success we've seen. Later in the summer we hope for visits by several hens and their offspring pecking through the field behind the house, feeding on ticks and grasshoppers. Some of us think it would be great if turkeys hatched earlier and taught their poults to feed heavily on ticks.

a mullein beginning to bloom

Photo by J. Harrington

Mullein is starting to come into flower. A quick search on the internet indicates that mullein has limited use by wildlife and substantial medicinal uses by humans. We tend to ignore the scattered plants growing in our fields and those of the neighbors.

scarlet tanager male at grape jelly feeder

Photo by J. Harrington

We've been delighted several times this week to see a male scarlet tanager at the feeders. There have also been occasional visits by purple finches, plus the usual cast of characters including American goldfinches, rose-breasted grosbeaks, chickadees, and nuthatches. During the past few days we've noticed a few more hummingbirds at the feeders. Not sure what that's all about unless young of the year are now showing up.

The other day, the Better Half reported seeing a whitetail doe and a pair of fawns in the field across the road. None  have yet visited our back fields but it's getting to be time for that.

A pair of sandhill cranes flew over the house this morning. The last decade or so has seen a notable increase in the local crane population. It's one of the few indications of things improving for those of us who are nature lovers.

The Origin of Birds

Nicole Callihan

For hours, the flowers were enough.
Before the flowers, Adam had been enough.
Before Adam, just being a rib was enough.
Just being inside Adam’s body, near his heart, enough.
Enough to be so near his heart, enough
to feel that sweet steady rhythm, enough
to be a part of something bigger was enough.
And before the rib, being clay was enough.
And before clay, just being earth was enough.
And before earth, being nothing was enough.
But then enough was no longer enough.
The flowers bowed their heads, as if to say, enough,
and so Eve, surrounded by peonies, and alone enough,
wished very hard for something, and the wish was enough
to make the pinecone grow wings; the wish was enough
to point to the sky, say bird, and wait for something to sing.

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