Season of birds
Today is one of those days that the chamber of commerce loves to talk about, clear skies a pleasant breeze and enough clouds to give depth to a crystal blue sky. It is cool sitting in the shade with only a shirt on but plenty warm enough in the sun, spring is here in full force. The dandelions in the hayfields are almost in full bloom making them into a yellow carpet.
Spring is the season of birds in this part of the world. We have the regular waves of small brightly colored warblers in the trees and the phoebe nests in the garage. Any fishing trip brings several sightings of ospreys and herons. But some unusual things as well; a hen turkey has taken to visiting the bird feeder during the day and last week she was surrounded by four toms in full display. On Saturday I was working on wiring the new compass in the Lund and when Argy arrived home with the groceries a tom was in full strut on the lawn not twenty feet from where I was working. I was on my back under the console of the boat but still that is pretty close.
We have a pair of Marsh Hawks (called Harriers these days) that are nesting nearby and make daily patrols of the hayfield across the street. I had a young eagle fly overhead this morning while I was finishing up loading the canoe trailer.
All of my equipment is now ready for the coming season and I am looking forward to getting into the swing of guiding every day. I am headed down river tomorrow to catch a few stripers and plan to have a full report in the afternoon.
