Kerfuffle on the pond...

 April 16. Spring is inching along. There have been a few beautiful, sunny, warmish days, interspersed with days of wind, rain, and even a few snow flurries. The frost is mostly out of the ground now, and the pond ice finally disintegrated on the 11th. 

A pair of mallard ducks have taken up residence. There was a kerfuffle on the pond early this morning, when another pair showed up. There was a lot of splashing and chasing, until the usurpers were sent winging on their way by the male, the female calmly watching from up on the grass along the edge.

Finally, I am seeing shoots from the snowdrops and crocus.

 The garlic is poking up about an inch, under the thick mulch of leaves over their bed.

Lilac buds are swelling, twigs of the red maples etched against the sky, are showing a definite thickening and reddening, and there is a very faint haze of green throughout the tops of the aspens, as their buds grow. 

The early spring bird migrants have been arriving. Monday last, the phoebes arrived, along with a blue bird. That was a surprise, as the bluebirds don't usually get here until on into May. He didn't stay long, just checked the place out, flying from clothesline post to solar panel, and was gone. Bluebirds are usually paired up, but this one was alone, so perhaps he is off to seek a mate. 

Yesterday I spotted a white-throated sparrow, and the squabbling red wing blackbirds are still hanging out. I keep telling them to be off and find a cat-tail swamp to set up their territories. As time goes on, they are showing more and more of their red epaulettes, as they jockey for space on the feeder. 

The timberdoodles (woodcocks) are here. On the recent night of the full moon and clear skies, we could hear them 'pweenting' and twittering, pretty much all night.

My shamrock is blooming, a small cheerful pot of blooms.

I didn't bring in any amaryllis bulbs from the cold room this year, as I plan to put them all out in the garden to spend the summer, once we get into consistent above freezing temperatures.

The seedlings under lights are all doing well, and some will soon need to be transplanted into bigger pots.

Slowly, spring is advancing. Soon it will be serious gardening time!