Winter, are you done now????

 April 18, 2026

So maybe, just maybe, we are on the up-hill side, although there are frosty night temperatures and snow in the forecast for early next week. With last week's grey skies, rain, and relatively mild temperatures, the snow has just disappeared. There are puddles of snow-melt/rain water in places we have rarely seen before in our 10 springs of residence here. Today's walk around to pick up the trail camera chips was an exercise in watching one's footing and avoiding the wet spots. There are vestiges of snow left here and there in the bush in shaded areas, and also some places where our snowshoes packed a trail.

Yesterday was a sublime sunny day with temperatures rising into the mid-teens C. (high 50's F), an augury of things to come! What a treat is was to have doors and windows open and come and go without having to don any extra layers of clothing.

Rivers and creeks in the area are running high. In some places, it is getting serious and folk are picking up sand bags to protect their properties. Up here, I am happy to see that the pond level has risen up to it's usual spring levels, flooding out at the north end. 

My crocuses have practically erupted out of dormancy, and the grass in the yard is greening up. 

 Deer have been dispersing out of their winter yards, and in the evenings, all those green shoots are attracting their attention in our yard. 

taken through the clothesline

Thursday night, on my way home late evening, the frog chorus was going so strongly in ponds and wet areas along my route, it joyfully hurt my ears!

Bird cam has collected a few shots of early migrants. A small flock of Juncos has made a stop-over here, and have been hanging out for a couple of weeks.

One of the earliest songsters is the Song Sparrow, and yesterday we heard several delineating their territories with song, 

Eastern Phoebes arrived mid-week, and one is trying to beguile a female to come join him and nest in the barn, while another is fluttering up under the eaves of the verandah, letting the females know that he has found a fine nesting spot. 

This bird is here all winter, and we see them once in a while, usually tagging along in a flock of Evening Grosbeaks. This Pine Grosbeak was checking out Bird Cam.

The dates on Bird Cam are correct, and the snow seen in the background is all gone now. 
 Last weekend we spotted another bird that is not native at this latitude, unless it has done a runner from someone's farm.

It is a Ring-necked Pheasant, and was walking across, then along this road without a care in the world. 

For a couple of mornings lately, a pair of Wood Ducks have been frequenting the pond, perched side by side on the floating turtle log in the rain.  

Today it is raining heavily again, so a good time to get caught up on all the inside stuff, as it won't be long until outside will be the place to be.