But we are finally getting some signs of Spring, and I found some on the way to the grocery store yesterday afternoon.
One of the definitive signs of Spring coming around here is the return of certain migratory birds, and the House Finch is one of them. I saw my first House Finch of the year yesterday on Rhode Island Ave.
Of course, we have Cardinals all year long, but now the males are singing their vast song repertoire instead of the short, shrill chip, chip they scold us with in the Winter months. This one sang to me for quite a bit, and stayed right there in his tree, determined not to be chased from his territory.
The early Narcissi are starting to come up, most notably the Crocuses, but here I found the Crocuses scattered among some early Snow Drops.
But the surest sign of all that Spring is just around the corner, for me, is the blooming of the Witch Hazels in a garden along Old Beach Rd. Technically, Witch Hazel is supposed to bloom in October, but these always bloom in late February and early March every year. Most of the trees bloom yellow, as in the second shot below, but they have one tree that blooms red, seen to the right here.
Ayuh! Spring is right around the corner. I'll miss Winter, and all my exotic Winter waterfowl who will be leaving soon. But Spring means that all the Egrets and Herons and Ibises will be coming back, and the Ospreys will be building their new nest on the broadcast tower at Toppa Field and in the trees and platforms in and around the salt marshes in the south end of town. So I'm finally getting ready to let go of Winter and welcome Spring.
© 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger
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Comments: 24
An outstanding photo and comments. The witch hazel reminds me of our wild azaleas in bloom. Great pics.
I'm certainly not opening MY windows like Natalie. It's only 16 degrees and I don't want to freeze.
It's been warm here for the last several days. So warm in fact that I had to turn the AC on upstairs. Of course tomorrow's high will only be 58 and we drop from there. The colder weather returns here for the weekend.
I never knew what a witch hazel tree actually looked like. I know they make Witch Hazel in this area, but now wonder if it is extracted somehow from the tree. I will have to google it. The blooms are very pretty and exotic looking for our climate, aren't they? And the delicate early Spring blooms are such a welcome sight, popping their heads up among the last of the winter snow. Lovely.
"The bark and leaves are astringent; the extract, also referred to as witch hazel, is used medicinally. Extracts from its bark and leaves are used in aftershave lotions and lotions for treating bruises and insect bites. Witch-hazel is the active ingredient in many hemorrhoid medications. It is also a common treatment for postpartum tearing of the perineum. The seeds contain a quantity of oil and are edible."
Good to know if you run into a bit of ice and fall on your behind, isn't it? :-)
I counted the different species of birds that I saw out of my back window, at the feeder and in the sky today. I came up with 15, and several of the regulars didn't show. The first heron flew over my backyard today, and I nearly sang with joy.
I know you love winter, but my crocuses have started blooming and I know of nothing better for my soul.
To my yard and fill
my winter soul with
melodies on wings.
U