First Signs of Spring

- Beautiful sunrise on the mountain this morning...and not as cold as the last few days.

- Mid-week we had 3"-4" of snow on the mountain properties (considerably less in town) and the mountains had never looked better! Unfortunately (?) the snow did not last long, which is typical of southeast Tennessee snowfall. Though the temperature was quite cold, tierra firma just held too much heat energy (the temperature had been in the upper 50s on Monday) for the snow to survive for very long.

- Today is bright and sunny with the temperature near 60 F and for the first time, my thoughts have actually turned to spring.

- First signs of spring.... a few of the Robins have returned, the buds of the Red Maples have begun to swell, the birds are generally more vocal and more active. Soon the Barred Owl and The Great Horned Owl will render their haunting nocturnal renditions through the forest, the Wild Turkeys will begin to gobble at dawn, and the area Whippoorwills will again deliver their late evening notes through the cabin window. The latter, one of three 'Nightjars' in this area, are often heard, but seldom seen. Last spring and summer, as many as 3-4 at a time could be heard in the early evening hours near the cabin. They depend on camouflage (a 'dead leaf' pattern) and a mostly nocturnal existence for survival , being almost totally terrestrial, and they often sit motionless from a clandestined perch to deliver their reptitive three-note song. I heard the Whippoorwill often on the farmlands in my youth, but then went decades without hearing one. Now, I hear them often and it is somehow comforting to know that some things haven't changed in our country!

- Attached is a recent photo of a Slate Colored Junco (Junco hyemalis) in the grass near my feeders. This bird, commonly called a 'winter bird' by some locals, will migrate north to Alaska/Canada before too long. They are usually gregarious, so this loner is the exception.

- The top photo caught four common species at once...from left to right.... House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), Carolina Chickadee (Parus carolinensis), and Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens). Priceless!

- There was also an Eastern Towhee (Rufous-sided) near the feeder. These shy birds, which seldom venture far from dense undergrowth, are quite striking, and I hope to get a good photo soon.

- Two Pileated Woodpeckers were recently on the suet and one of the feeders simultaneously, and yet another great photo was missed.