As I sit here looking out the window, I can still see some snow. This week has been the first time since January I can see grass in the yard. It's brown, but it's mostly uncovered. Because of the tides, the marsh lost most of its snow cover earlier. It shares the spring brown, which has its own beauty. Last year I was sad to lose the green and have just drab brown on the marsh. But when the green came back, I found I had grown fond of the drab.
Canada Geese are enjoying themselves. We've seen Mallards swimming in the riffles. A few weeks ago we saw 2 beautiful male Hooded Mergansers swimming in an exceptionally high tide right by the edge of the yard. The temps are rising and the sun is out.
In birding news, we've had a very exciting winter, even though the King Eider has eluded us:
3 Harlequin Ducks. 2 female, 1 male, one Sunday at the Lobster Shack
14(!) Harlequins 7 of each, the following Sunday, same place
A pair of soaring Bald Eagles at Prout's Neck
A juvenile Bald Eagle eating a Canada Goose while several ducks swam by (Hooded Merganser, Black Duck, Horned Grebe) at the Spurwink River bridge
Dozens of Common Loons and Longtail Ducks at Pine Point, as well as Horned Grebes, Hooded and Red Breasted Mergansers
We have enjoyed the winter this year, though it has dragged on a little longer than anyone expected. Everyone up here is ready for spring.
