Friday, March 21, 2014

Spring Unfolds Slowly

The past two weeks rolled by with just the slightest hint of a transition from winter to spring. The outdoors stayed cold and snow-covered. We had brief spurts of interesting wildlife sightings: skunk tracks in snow, a small flock of cobalt-blue bluebirds at the suet feeder, a dozen turkeys. Red-winged blackbirds returned. I looked hard for signs of spring.

This morning I heard the most hopeful sign yet: a male woodcock peenting before dawn from the edge of a still snow-covered field. In keeping with this year's weather their arrival is a week later than usual. Even the cardinals sounded more spirited this morning.

The only bit of fresh green that I could find in my yard on these first few days of spring was the moss growing on our rock wall. At least it is something as another week of cold temps and wintry weather is in the air.

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