April, Coming Home

On the way out to Dalhousie Lake this past weekend, a male blackbird flew across the road right in front of the car and perched on a desiccated reed in the marsh.  It was joined a few seconds later by several noisy companions, all hopping from stalk to stalk, laughing at each other's jokes and swaying back and forth in the wind. The first returning turkey vultures circled lazily overhead, and a single goshawk described wide circles closer to the warming earth.

When we arrived at the lake, there were two Canada geese perched on the edge of the ice, and a crowd of bufflehead ducks and mergansers swam together harmoniously a little further out, bobbing up and down like corks in the current.

Geese were (and are) returning in throngs and so happy to be back in the north. Wave upon wave of jubilant Canadas passed overhead, and they sang homecoming songs as they flew. Down below, we earthbound humans sang (or rather croaked) welcoming songs back to them.

It is far too earlier for such things, but house finches have already been checking out the wreath on the front door of the little blue house as a nesting place, and robins have visited the garden.  Perhaps spring is here at last. Oh please, let it be so....