My blogging hiatus lasted almost half a year which is about the length of the winter that just ended. Early December brought a damaging ice storm and then we were visited with interminable snow, deep cold and no January thaw. I went birding once and got a flat tire half an hour from home on a very cold day. No winter hawks or owls swooped by as I waited for a tow truck. I even stopped feeding our yard birds when the squirrels destroyed my “squirrel-proof” feeders and Costco ran out of black sunflower seeds.
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| The Mallard Duck and I were both prepared for muddy pathways |
Winter finally ended in Narnia and spring arrived here in due course. Mother Nature has flicked the fast forward switch to make up for lost time. I walked outdoors for several hours today and felt more like myself than I have in a year. City crews started working last week to clear local trails of downed branches and trees from the December storm.
My bird count was most impressive! Birds are very vocal right now and there is no vegetation to hide them on the ground or trees.
Bald Eagles, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows (leaving), White-throated Sparrows (coming) Song Sparrows, Belted Kingfishers, Tree Swallows, American Robins plus our usual year round Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, House Finches, Goldfinches, Nuthatches...about 30 species in all.
The sweetest spring song belongs to the White-throated Sparrow. The Becka heard one earlier this week and I was surrounded by them on the trail today with the help of some hulled sunflower seeds.
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| Brown Thrasher, Skunk Cabbage, Spring Trail, Hermit Thrush |
My bird count was most impressive! Birds are very vocal right now and there is no vegetation to hide them on the ground or trees.
Bald Eagles, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows (leaving), White-throated Sparrows (coming) Song Sparrows, Belted Kingfishers, Tree Swallows, American Robins plus our usual year round Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, House Finches, Goldfinches, Nuthatches...about 30 species in all.
The sweetest spring song belongs to the White-throated Sparrow. The Becka heard one earlier this week and I was surrounded by them on the trail today with the help of some hulled sunflower seeds.
Oh Sweet Canada Canada Canada....
Yes, spring is sweet and life is good! |
| White-throated Sparrow |
YAY! I am so glad you are blogging again, even my own writing schedule seems to lag a bit come winter, and it sounds like you had an exceptionally long one.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures!
Thanks Kira. I will have to activate a blog reader. I never got into another one after Google Reader closed.
DeleteHere I was hoping you'd tell us why the trail is closed. Nothing like a sign promising danger--unsafe conditions--to lure the curious daring hiker.
ReplyDeleteGlad your winter hiatus has ended.
The trail is closed due to downed trees and limbs from the ice storm. There are a number of precarious trees which will have to be cut down for safety but that will take some time.
DeleteThe new life of spring certainly helps to revive our hearts.
ReplyDeleteWelcome spring, and welcome back.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see your post and beautiful pictures. Welcome back Ruth. Happy Spring!!
ReplyDeleteIt was a long winter. Welcome back.
ReplyDelete