Another pleasantly cool spring morning, it’s 52°. Just a light breeze blowing. An almost cloudless sky. Bright spring sunshine.
Walking out on the back porch this morning I spooked Blue Jay on the feeder. Since it’s a bit late, I didn’t hear the morning bird song I’ve been hearing the last few mornings. And with it being good Friday, sounds of traffic are lighter than normal.
The grand kids are home from school today. At least their sleep patterns don’t make me feel too old. I will and get out of bed before either of them. Of course, that’s the everyday occurrence because I usually have to get them up each morning to get them ready for school.
The Carolina Wren has decided to sit on the bar out back and serenade me now. For such a small bird it has an extremely loud voice. It’s just the opposite of the eastern bluebird, a much larger bird and a soft melodious voice.
It’s almost amazing to look at the red oak and watch it go from there to a fuzz of green in less than a week. But, as of yet, not a touch of green on the pecans. Even the large bald cypress is showing some green, while my smaller bald cypresses are all fully leafed.
But now, a male cardinal has decided to visit the feeder. A bright flash of red against the pale green of spring is always a welcome sight. I still think my feeders are located at the center of a pie shaped cardinal territory. Because the number of cardinals that come and go have always been more than one or two pairs.
All winter long my hummingbird feeder was visited by a Rufus hummingbird. Now the Rufus hummingbird seems to have headed back north but the ruby throated hummingbirds have arrived for the summer. This has been the third or fourth winter we’ve had a Rufus hummingbird in residence. They were once a very rare sight here. I’m not sure if it’s a pattern shift or if we just have a single bird that keeps returning. I do try to keep fresh nectar out all winter long for the one or two hummingbirds that have always stayed the winter.
Linda, in answer to a comment on her blog, noted that Leon Hale had died on March 27th. I hadn’t seen the news. It’s a sad thing actually, he was less than two months away from his 100th birthday.
It seems like I grew up reading his column in the post. Somewhere in a storage around here I have almost all of his books. I discovered the Institute at Winedale after he began talking about it. It was on my trips searching for wildflowers that I first visited the site.
Rest in peace Leon. You traveled many a mile in your life and wore out many a truck.
Well it’s time for breakfast and another cup of coffee. Y’all stay safe, stay healthy, and pray for the nation and the world.
Have a glorious Friday and get out and enjoy the weekend.
