Spring...it is coming!

In my opinion, we are already experiencing an early Spring. (yes that is my hopeful spin on ending Winter ...NOW!) Sure we have had a couple bitter cold nights since our warm day of 70F, along with some snow and freezing rain, but isn't that more typical of Spring then Winter?  Temps all over the place.  sunny one moment, cloudy and rain the next.  Or wind. We've been having some very windy days.  Much as I dislike the wind, it is helpful when you live level with the water table! Helps dry out the deep water in the driveway! 

The real signs of Spring I see are the living breathing types.  Along with the emerging daffodils and crocus, there are the birds and animals.

Newly emerged from winter hibernation, I looked out in time to see two groundhogs across the stream.  One sizable groundhog chasing one half it's size out of the territory I assume he was claiming.  No signs of Little Dude, though, as all the openings under the shed are still filled with leaves and whatever other debris has blown there.

I've noticed the birds are up early and singing these mornings.  Obviously they feel they have something to sing about! Spring! LOVE! OK, reproduction it is.  I hadn't realized how quieter the birds are in winter. You don't realize how you miss the songs until you start hearing them again.   The cardinals and titmouse are rising in numbers. The grackles have appeared. 

The winter birds, like the junco, is still here. It does seem like their numbers are increasing and they are spending a lot more time on the ground eating, so perhaps they are getting ready to head north too.

As I said before I was doing the GBBC.  the last day, on arriving home I discovered no less then 40 starlings all over my feeders. F O R T Y!! ARGH!!
So now they keep coming back.  Thankfully not all forty but anything more then one is too many.  And don't you know, the number and types of bird went up immediately after the count.  :D  So I've been trying to do the ongoing bird count and see how that goes.

During the GBBC I saw on their list a separate entry for junco's, for a slate colored junco. Never saw that before.  Until a yesterday. I saw two birds and I thought, it looks like a junco, bright white belly and all, but something was 'off'. Granted I'm a little slow, but it did occur to me that this was the slate colored junco! Compared it to photos online and confirmed it.  Cool eh?

Anyhow, 3 days after our record breaking 70F we got another 6 inches of snow.

yes I shovel a path for them. 

But it was a fairly lightweight snow and it didn't last long. We have been very fortunate compared to many surrounding areas.  We just weren't spared the bitter cold temps though!


The song sparrows usually stick to the ground, catching what falls from the feeders. He must have been hungry.

This goldfinch decided to seek some shelter while waiting his turn at the feeder.  I'm glad I didn't cut this back all the way last fall.  I was tempted to do it the week it got warm!

One of my favorites  is still the small wren.

One morning he decided to see what was in the other feeders the birds made such a fuss over.  I don't think he was impressed.

This is more to his liking

I'm seeing more of the downy woodpeckers too.  So far it seems that the female is out early, the male shows up a couple hours later.

I love that the cardinals have finally caught on to raiding the squirrels corn.  I still have to get a feeder to accommodate them better, that is both squirrel and larger bird proof ad doesn't cost a small fortune.

Some times the song sparrow looks grumpy doesn't it, with all those stripes meeting right at the face?

Yep always have to include more photos of ducks. When you have up to 80 of them visiting, you have to take advantage of that.

The mourning doves are becoming more frequent now.

I've been seeing more the coopers hawk too.  One day I saw two of them. They eyed either other up for awhile, then the one flew off to the other side of the main road.

When I went to the feed store Friday I had told the clerk that in another week I'll have to buy some mealworns.  Oops...guess I should have gotten it right then and there. Two bluebirds were sitting in the trees the other morning. I did put some jelly and orange slices out, but they'd already gone. I haven't noticed them back yet.  I'll be watching for them!

Looks like my wren may have found a mate.  Wren's are known to mate for life.

I was surprised this winter that I had so few cardinals. Most often I would only see one lone male. I'm finally realizing that it may have been the prolonged extremely cold temps that kept the bird numbers down this winter. 

  Remember awhile back I commented on animals reacting to seeing me watch them?  This male stood in that position, foot slightly raised for at least 5 minutes while I watched him and took photos.

The squirrels are getting busy now too.  It rained heavily yesterday and I saw this young squirrel (I assume born late last fall) looking like a drowned rat eating everything it could find. He spent hours out here, along with another fat fluffy squirrel.

Here is the squirrel with a heavier coat.  I'd say a bit more mature and smarter. It planted itself under the holly bush to eat and look for seeds!

And look who else has emerged!  I can't say it picked the best place to dig a hole, right next to a feeder pole. But this lil one also kept very busy eating, stuffing his cheeks full.  He seems to like the pile of rocks I have out on the bank (future stream project if I ever get the permit) He spent a lot of time scurrying all over and through the rocks, then stand on top and groom himself.

Female cardinal

A third squirrel.  Not quite as small as one, nor big as the other.  (suddenly Goldilocks comes to mind.  Not too big, not too small but JUUUUST right!)

Last Friday Sister and I went to the Garden Expo in Harrisburg.  Largely disappointed. I thought there would be more displays, more info on environmental issues and solutions in the garden. More conservation groups. But mostly it was commercial and there were a lot of  wine tasting going on. At least 6 wineries. The only thing we bought was some fabulous Chef Tim's sweet basil vinaigrette and some pepperelli by In a Jam by MaryAnn that was to die for. (The pepperelly is already consumed)  Oh and some cheddar cheese that's made right on the farm.  Gotta love local products! And doubly nice was it was all reasonably priced at the show.  I only wish I'd have bought a bigger bottle of Chef Tim's.  Right now I have some chicken marinating in it. Yum!

Last week I was  watching one squirrel trying to bury it's peanuts, but the ground was still frozen despite a warmer day. I little holes all over the yard from it's efforts.  But already it's changing as I watched a squirrel bury nuts with much more ease.

I did see my female squirrel that has a notch out of her tail. She would only show up once a week or so this winter, so I'm hoping I'll see her more now.  She's easier to identify, not just from the tail but from her reaction to me being around. She doesn't freak out like the others had been doing. Her reaction is more like...oh it's just you I can stay and eat more. 

I've made one purchase for the yard this weekend.  A new stand for my umbrella feeder station. Hopefully it's a little heavier and won't blow over in big wind storms. 

This morning I stopped at Home Depot and decided on trying some of those little seed pots.  I've never had much luck with seed, and despite not getting my light inside I'm going to try to start some of the seeds I'd saved from last year. They had a kit that fits on the window sill. I have only one place I can put it  but I'm going to give it a try.  

I am anxious to get something done outside now. There's a sign that it's been a long cold winter!  I did look to see what might be showing signs of life and discovered that something had bitten off the buds of one of my spice bush plants, as well as chewed off one of the long stems from the blackberry I planted last fall.  

now that all the ground is free of snow I keep looking at the one area I created last fall when I took out the hosta. I remember telling Sister what I was thinking of planting there. I also told her I probably wouldn't remember by Spring.  And I don't.  It may come to me yet, but even if it doesn't I'm sure I'll come up with something! 

Hmm...wonder if I'd made a decision about moving that butterfly bush...