Signs of Spring?

Warmish, sunny weather the last few days melted much of the snow in the pastures around the Aerie and we've seen numerous robins hopping about the grass looking for the early worms that the melt water has flushed out of their holes.

Several European starlings have wandered up the hill to the feeders as well. They didn't stay long however and went to find their buddies down around the fields where the dairy farmers have been spreading manure.

Monday I spotted two huge skeins of geese flying in ragged formations overhead. (It was windy and you could see they were having trouble.) But they were flying northeast and not due north, so perhaps they were headed for New England instead of Canada. Still, the fact that they were on the move was encouraging.

This evening, I heard the first "peeent" of a woodcock in the woods just west of the yard at sunset. If the snows forecast for the next couple of days stay just to the west of us as forecast, the male woodcock will perform his little evening aerial display to establish territory and attract a female everyday. Last year two or three of them competed around the Aerie and could be heard and seen from the deck. During May I kicked one up of a nest on the edge of the back field.

The presence of these birds (especially the woodcock) are all indicators that spring may indeed be right around the corner. But first we'll have to negotiate a few (hopefully) light snow storms.

The daylight hours have certainly increased. In the morning, it's starting to get light around 6 AM and, where it was dark by 5 PM back on New Year's, it is now quite light at 6 PM. Add the change of the clocks this weekend ("Spring ahead") and, although we'l lose some of the morning light, it will be 7 PM before it gets dark on Sunday evening.

We are on week 5 of Paunxetawney Phil's "six more weeks of winter" and I certainly do not want to go through a seventh week or an eighth or ninth.... You get the idea.