With eye's closed it is easy to know that spring is well underway. The increasing calls and drumming of the woodpeckers is distinctive along the western hedgerow as the weather slowly warms and the light of day is lengthened, and of course there is the smell of spring. Eye's wide open, and there is a whole host of bird life springing into action. It is easy, with the trees still stripped of leaf cover to spot the Red Belly and Pileated Woodpeckers, the Flickers are ubiquitous, and the occasional Downy and Hairy are seen scurrying up the bark of a snag. The hawk migration has been in evidence for a while, the Northern Harrier and Kestrel are hovering in the fields, and finally the Ospreys have arrived to claim and refurbish their nests. Even today, misty with drizzle, the activity of all of the birds in the space surrounding the house is increased. The Bluebirds seemingly on every branch, hard to miss in their new blue feathers, the Sparrows and Robins already scouting for a suitable nesting spot. I have set out the bits and bobs of discarded yarn, fabric and dog fur, which I know I will find latter in the nests that I uncover in the fall cleanup.
The walk today had Zoe and Parker overwhelmed, as there had been a Fox Hunt on the property a day or so ago, which brought a whole new world of smells to the farm, perceived only by them. I could only watch as the cataloging and indexing of the discoveries was underway, the consultations between the two of them confirming or rejecting the evidence of new information found with their noses pressed onto the ground.
Home from the walk and inside just as the drops of rain come closer together.
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