Its been a rough winter up here in the northeast, with more snow than many of us have seen in decades (or want to see again), iced-up ponds and bays leaving very little open water, and thermometers that seem to be stuck on the cold end of the scale. So we’ve all been waiting anxiously for signs of spring. Those signs have been arriving slowly but surely. It started with the arrival of the first Laughing Gulls.
My first-of-season Laughing Gull. Notice the rosy-pink hue to this bird. I’m not sure what causes that color. Does anybody out there know??
Eastern Phoebes are becoming a daily occurrence. I’ve been seeing Ospreys both on the bays and larger ponds. American Woodcock are performing their delightful twilight displays. A few Tree Swallows are flying above the ponds and bogs. Wood Ducks remain shy, but pairs are back in their finest plumage.
Today there was a clue that maybe we’ve reached a turning point. Out on the bogs, the air was chock full of tiny flying insects, presumably midges.
At times all I had to do was aim the camera in any direction, and the frame was filled with midges. The birds were loving it.
And if tiny flying insects are appearing, hungry birds can’t be far away. It didn’t take long to find them. Before today I had seen a grand total of only 9 Tree Swallows. Today the bogs were filled with hundreds of these graceful fliers. I had not seen any Pine Warblers yet this year, but today with just an hour of viewing there were dozens feeding in front of me, seemingly not knowing where to feed first. Let’s collectively hope that we’ve reached the turning point as we await the next wave of arrivals.
My first bright Pine Warbler of the season. There were dozens flitting about and feasting on the midge hatch today. It’s hard to describe how much that flash of yellow brightened up my day.
Another sign that we’ve turned a corner; delightful colors are also appearing on the forest floor.