The eruption of spring continues with the flow of returning (long missed) migrants. It seemed like each day this week brought forth a new sighting. Even the humans are becoming more active, tending to the fallen leaves of autumn, picking up debris and some even venturing further. There have been an increased number of mariners seizing the open River to proclaim another season.
The bird feeder outside my kitchen window has drawn some weary travelers to it. Redpolls, cardinals, house finches, mourning doves, grackles and red wing black birds all vie for a spot. Two grackles this morning stood across from one another in objective defiance… facing off. With outstretched necks they stood toe to toe like sumo wrestlers in a ring. A chipmunk soon upset the food tray casting its weight into the matter. I have dubbed this chippy “cheeks” as it fills its face to the max before retreating to its den. It has a ravenous appetite after its long sleep, buried in a den.
Under the (pole) bird feeder the little rascal runs circles around the birds to claim the bounty on the ground. The small stripped streak leaps from all “fours” becoming air bourn, further asserting it’s dominate place. The birds are somewhat annoyed by the antics and lift from the ground only to return in a different location. I am sure that the confrontations will decrease as more forage becomes available from Mother Nature. In the mean time I am enjoying all the commotion.
Sandy noticed a pair of Canada geese next to a small farm pond, with a family of goslings, already in tow. I usually begin to see goslings much later in the spring and we were shocked by their appearance. There are still a good many cold nights ahead, so I hope that the parent geese are well endowed with down! A dragonfly came whizzing past the front porch yesterday. At first I thought it may be a humming bird as the flight is very similar. My winter warn eyes are still suffering from snow blindness and have trouble focusing on fast objects.
Traveling to Clayton my eyes had a clear view of a raptor atop a telephone pole. On April 1st an osprey was over looking the road, across from a nest of many seasons. It must have been a male leading the way for the upcoming rituals of mating. With the number of successful hatches over the last few years I expect to see more nests being built. That nest alone produced three fledged osprey last year.
Friday afternoon I opened the doors of the boathouse to listen and watch a soft rain shower. The River was calm, aside from the tiny ripple rings left by diving rain drops. Geese and diving ducks clamored in the air and on the open water. Soft sounds of honking and low pitched squawks carried through the still air. My thoughts turned to getting the Lyman ready for another season. The River is still plenty low for putting in the railway, but the water does not look too welcoming, as it hovers in the upper thirty degree range. I will wait for a few warm days to raise the temperature a bit more. I know that I will be getting wet and I will drop a bolt or two into the drink, causing me to send bare arms to the bottom. A sunny day with a warm sun makes that project tolerable and lessens the purple color that cold water brings. Purple is not my favorite color… or feeling.
I did see two separate mariners in pleasure craft, poking around on the River this week. One came from Carleton Island in an open hulled outboard, he seemed to be enjoying a ride that had been dreamt about for months. He had a wonderful day as the River lay calmly at his command. I’m sure that he had work that he was tending to, what a great way to go about it! The second craft came from Millen’s Bay in an aluminum hull that I recognized. I know that some Ice was still sealing the bay from the River, and that he had to have done some icebreaking to get free. Indeed he had, I could see the snake like broken path left by an anxious sailor longing to feel the rivers flow. It’s never too soon to be on the River and as we all know it never lasts long enough.
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