Forget Groundhogs

The humble groundhog gets nearly all the press when it comes to spring and predictions thereof.  We've learned around here, however, to trust the birds not the ground-dwelling furry mammals.  The geese and ducks have been returning in droves these last few weeks and to us, that is truly the onset of spring.  The equinox came and went unnoticed - what did not was the endless v's of chinstrap and Canada geese wheeling overhead, the lead bird in each case barking out the rhythm like a coach in the back of a rowing crew.

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!"

This year we have seen more mating pairs of geese return to the farm pond than ever before.  We've even spotted signs of Gus, our goose who thinks he's an alpaca.  The birds have arrived on the river near my day job in their usual predictable order - first coots, then geese, then cranes, then endless ranks of ducks.  However, there was a new sight this year in some of the bogs and wetlands that sit in the mountain valleys through which I drive each day.

Floating on the tranquil waters were several snow white bodies, serenely sleeping with their heads tucked under wings.  It wasn't until one lifted its head in idle curiosity that I realized these were swans!  I don't know how long these visitors will stick around, but for now they seem content to eat the water plants along the roadside and sleep quietly in the morning mists.  When they leave the valley will be a little sadder for their parting.