Spring migrants arrive preseason

This morning, as we drove through the Carlos Avery marshes along county road 36, we saw:

• three Canada geese (in the air)
• one swan (in the air)
• two sandhill cranes standing in the frozen marsh
• one fox hunting on the frozen marsh

There’s no sign yet of open water along the Sunrise river, but maybe within the next week or so....???

water starts to open and flow

Photo by J. Harrington

The “pond” north of our property is slowly showing an open intermittent channel of water. Some week soon it should look like the picture above. Most years it gets visited by waterfowl headed north or just arriving in the neighborhood. No sign yet of water in the  “wet spot” behind the house. More, much more, snow melt will be needed for that to become visible.

The National Phenology Network notes that, to our south, spring is arriving early, for the most part. Other than the early bird returns of southern migrants, we’re still waiting for an extended period of above freezing temperatures. While writing this post, we saw a northern-drifting turkey vulture pass over the house. Maybe the birds know something we only suspect. Soon it will be Spring! If you’ll pardon me, I’m going to go watch some snow melt.

The Thaw

Henry David Thoreau - 1817-1862

I saw the civil sun drying earth’s tears —
Her tears of joy that only faster flowed,

Fain would I stretch me by the highway side,
To thaw and trickle with the melting snow,
That mingled soul and body with the tide,
I too may through the pores of nature flow.

But I alas nor tinkle can nor fume,
One jot to forward the great work of Time,
‘Tis mine to hearken while these ply the loom,
So shall my silence with their music chime.

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