Dear Readers,
I hope that you all are staying fit and well and are not getting too anxious about our present situation. Some of us older ones have received our dose of the vaccine, as we all will eventually,- just hold on and be patient!
Despite our own turmoil, the “Natural World” continues on its day to day life for us all to enjoy, for free! A cold last day of March heralded the arrival of our first pair of Bluebirds into our garden to inspect our nesting boxes. Wow! What a beautiful surprise to end the month. They didn’t even wait for “April Fools Day”, so we know that it isn’t a joke and is a harbinger of Spring and better things to come. On that note, a couple of days ago I stopped my car, within walking distance of home, to watch some Canada Geese cavorting in a makeshift natural pond, formed by a dip in the ground and the melted snow and rain.
The water was deep enough for them to swim around and relax their tired “migration-flight” wings and bodies. They seemed elated at getting a rest and were swimming around quite sedately, preening their wing feathers, when, quite suddenly, an individual, or two, or three, would start rushing about and flapping wings, as though about to take off, but didn’t. As suddenly as it started, it stopped. It was quite a frenzied display, which included actually diving under water and turning somersaults. One of my pictures shows one actually on its back with its legs in the air! I have never seen this sort of performance by geese before, not that I actually stop to watch them that often, since their stopovers going North, or South, don’t last for very long! Perhaps some of you have seen them do it too? It would bring a smile to your lips!
As well as the birds being active, the chubby cheeked Chipmunks and the Squirrels are busy too, as they prepare to, or, are already feeding their newly born offspring. Birds nests will be built and their youngsters will appear to captivate us once again, as life goes on.
Stay safe and well and keep smiling,
Cheers,
John Baldwin
