Undeniable Spring

Our male tree swallow returned to his favorite perching spot on our electric wire. He was several days earlier than in years past.

More signs of spring's irresistible and imminent arrival (an arrival as regular as the Beaujolais signs at the wine store, but far less cheesy) included greater yellowlegs at The Wilds on Friday, our tree swallow sitting at his fave spot on our electric wire, two pairs of wood ducks on the neighboring farm pond (I would SO love to have a pond here at Indigo Hill), flocks of blackbirds swirling in pastures, and at least six woodcock heard at once from our front yard.

A blackbird flock swirling and settling in an open space in Bonn, Ohio, a suburb of Whipple.

Tonight the inky black sky is washed with gray filmy clouds and a full moon, which is certainly the Woodcock Moon because its brightness keeps the males calling and doing display flights long after they should have stopped and refocused their attentions on sucking earthworms out of the soggy soil.

This time of year is so wonderfully full of newness, rebirth, and life bubbling to the surface. I am slurping it up.The woodcock moon as observed through the branches of our huge pear tree (which annually bestows upon us thousands of inedible pears).