The Snowbirds are Back

Spring has sprung and we're back in the saddle, at the Lake, watching geese come and go, flickers probe the land, and phoebes go mad (about which, more in a later post).

The ice finally went out on May 8/9, making it pretty late compared to recent years. There was a lot of rain which, contrary to popular belief, doesn't really help the snow go, so there was still a great deal of that lying about when we returned on April 26. The great snow melters are warmth and wind, and these arrived at last. The snow is finally departed. However, that sodden snowpack was, on balance, a good thing as there wasn't a huge amount of sudden, urgent runoff and the water percolated into the ground rather than rushing overland into the lake. This makes our water table very happy.

The loons are back and vocal, particularly around 3:30 a.m. Thanks, loons.

A lovely male goldeneye duck appeared off our dock one day, before the ice went, presumably on its way to more northerly parts. What an attractive bird it is.

The geese are tailing off in their migration north. The last few skeins have pretty much gone.

So, blog is back, we are back, here comes Spring/Summer 2018.