The spring sequence of life marches on.....

 May 3, 2025

 So, if I could only understand 'bird'...perhaps then I'd know what the Blue-headed vireo was asking me this morning with it's spaced, questioning calls. Maybe the Ruby-crowned Kinglets understood, or the Black-throated green, and Yellow-rumped warblers or the Northern Waterthrush, who were also heard on our bush ramble this morning. It is such a delight to walk quietly around the trails, listening for all the new arrivals. Pretty sure I heard a Common Yellow-throat, a bird I learned as a child, and called it the 'Witchery bird', long before I knew it's name. It's call sounds like it is saying 'witchery, witchery', and it's appearance is far from common, with its black 'bandit' eye mask and yellow breast.

One night of very strong winds earlier in the week, I stood out on the verandah in the dark, the wind roaring, and could hear the periodic sound of branches breaking, but close by, the frogs still singing through the din ...so every walk around the trails of late, involves tossing off twigs and small branches. Hubby has been around with the chainsaw to clear off bigger obstructions. Mother Nature has been doing some very vigorous spring pruning. 

Today I picked up this stick, then paused to examine the soft jelly fungus and two varieties of lichen on the same branch, curiously beautiful.

In our clearing, a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrived Friday morning, blown in on warmer overnight breezes from the south. He was sipping nectar from the feeder we'd prepared in expectation of his arrival. We watched him make repeated visits as we ate our breakfast on the verandah, the only morning of the week that the temperature was reasonable enough to do so. The males are always first, and we'll definitely know when the females arrive, as the males begin their 'pendulum dancing', zipping back and forth in a pendulum arc, their wings a blur, and buzzing loudly, trying to impress the girls.

This morning, thrill of thrills, we spotted Mr. Bluebird sitting out on the hook that the Hummy feeder is hanging off of, and in the excitement, I forgot the water running into the sink for dishes and narrowly avoided disaster! He flew off to join his mate in inspecting the nest box situated about 80 yards to the west of the house. They both diligently checked it out, both of them inside at one time, at other times one would sit on the roof, peering over the edge while the other would go inside. They hung out and kept appearing sitting on the box, and on any stake or post around the clearing throughout the morning. It remains to be seen if the habitation met with their approval, and if they'll move in. If so, the telescope will be set up by the west window to keep an eye on proceedings.

The weather has varied pretty much all over the map this week. Days of warmth, days of wind, nights of strong wind, and nights of frost. We watch our wind vane....the cedar 'turtle log' floating in the pond, as it drifts with the wind, to the north or to the south end of the pond. It is the time of year one keeps a close eye on the thermometer, to see if plants can go out, or have to stay in, or stay out at night....Hardening off of the garden plants continues.

Recently I couldn't resist this...

and have harvested a delicious large oyster mushroom. I am hoping for another flush.

Yesterday, I was down gently patting the carpet of dead leaves over the lady slipper orchid patch in the bush behind the barn, feeling for shoots...and yes! The pale green shoots are up perhaps half an inch. I brushed the leaves back over them. Hazelnut shrubs have put out their tiny red blooms,

and Leatherwood shrubs are blooming.

The bush is still pretty barren looking, until you look up...at blooming Red maples,

and burgeoning pussy willows.

There is a green or red or yellow tinge in the tree tops as buds start to swell on different tree species. 

Rhubarb pie will soon be on the menu,

and I'm keeping a sharp eye on the asparagus patch, because....

They just poked through! Last year's stems have been left to deter the deer.

In the gardens, peas have been planted, as well as lettuce, spinach and radishes.

Look! first red trillium, looking a little tattered, and finally, this shot of a fat Robin in front of Bird Cam.