Taste of Spring

My car, Emma's house

The Herkimer Creek goes past Dr Pam's
as well as our house. Finally the ice has melted
off the top and you can see water again.

I noticed while walking my friend's beagle Emma yesterday, that the birds are returning from their winter retreat, wherever that may have been. It was in the 50°s and sunny, so they picked a good time to come back.

All winter we have had a pair of cardinals, plenty of crows, chickadees and phoebes, and a couple of hawks around, but the eagles were sadly missing from their nest across the street. I think that ugly March snowstorm caused them to lose their babies last year, and we have not seen very much of them since. There is a second nest now, quite close to the other one, but I haven't really seen the eagles in there either—until about 2 weeks ago—they're back in both nests!

When I walk Emma on our normal route to Dr. Pam's, I am starting to see and hear more birds. Yesterday I saw a Downy Woodpecker, and heard some other birds singing that I did not recognize.

We still have several inches of melting snow on the ground, but at least most of the ice is gone. Just a taste of spring before it gets cold again...

Dr. Pam is selling her vet practice, house, and horse farm. It all comes with this beautiful piece of property and plenty of birds. She has eagle visitors often, and has a bird cam set up to capture them in action. She has some fantastic photos that I will have to get her to send me sometime soon.