I am catching up on my chores and have almost finished checking off the items on my list. I cleaned up a ton of deadfall in the pasture, mostly white pine branches, big ones that I had to cut up with the chain saw to move. All the supports are up for the early bloomers in the garden. I have pruned blueberries, lilacs and roses. There’s always some weeding to do. I replaced one fence rail, it was an eleven-foot gap so no commercially available rails are long enough, they’re all ten foot. I made a long rail out of a straight beech sapling.
Hummingbirds are back, and I filled the feeders a few days ago. We have a catbird here, but there are Baltimore orioles and indigo buntings in the neighborhood. Our indigo bunting hasn’t appeared this year, as yet. I saw a peregrine falcon chase a robin around the yard, the robin escaped.
There was a hooded merganser on the pond yesterday for about an hour. She repeatedly dove, looking for a meal. I didn’t see her eat anything.
Four turtles were out of the pond catching sun a few days ago. I suppose there could be more. You can only do the turtle census when you see them at the same time.
Early a few mornings ago, I saw a weasel-like animal slip into the pond and swim about half way around staying close to the edge. It was dark colored and about the size of a squirrel. I guess it was a mink, way too small for an otter, and most of the other species in the weasel family are not aquatic.
The last unusual sighting was this evening—two hot air balloons drifted by, slowly moving east.
New blooms: trout lily.
Surprise this evening, two hot air balloons.
This is the nearer one-very colorful.
Is there a collective noun for a group of turtles.
Goldfinches males are especially vivid this year. The females look similar but much drabber.
Hooded merganser spent an hour at the pond repeatedly diving for something, crayfish? fish? amphibian eggs?
The snow is gone again-hopefully for the season.
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