Glaciers still in the yard but its Spring!

Great Blue Herons in the valley

 (photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

 

Spring has finally arrived the the valley here and we have been most fortunate as far as our flooding here.  A week and a half ago we were taking on water pretty fast and the valley in front was threatening lake front property once again, but fortunately all the culverts broke open in time to spare the road and its been dropping back to the channel since.  

 

We are so, so lucky and count our blessings as we watch the dire situation in extreme western Iowa and the eastern half of Nebraska...a perfect storm did happen after a heavy snowfall and rains exacerbated the completely saturated soils from last year's record rains - it was all downhill from there for anyone in the flood plains of the Missouri River and its tributaries.   Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the flooding going on right now.

 

Things are starting to look "normal" here for a change...we still have 4 foot drifts covering most of Georgie's barn garden but she was able to get into the yard garden and peek under the snow flattened hoops and see that the spinach did survive the winter this year - YAY!!!  Last year the mice had set up shop under her row covers and dined on spinach all winter...we have strong mice out here!

 

Juvenile Bald Eagle

 (photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

 

We have been seeing a few Great Blue Herons returning to the Waterman Creek rookery the past few days, but in low numbers so far.  Yesterday we had 8 herons riding a thermal high above the rookery.  The last time we witnessed this there was "Eagle trouble" brewing.  Well, sure enough, a couple juvenile Bald Eagles were harassing the herons - one flying around the hovering flock and another sitting smack in the middle of the rookery!

 

Eventually the two trouble makers tired of the game and headed off right over the studio deck where Georgie and I were watching - giving us great neck bending looks as they passed.  In the next hour 8 more Bald Eagles flew past the acreage - bee lining straight north on the wind.  On top of that uncounted flocks of Canada and Snow Geese streamed past heading north as well - spring is definitely in play now!

Grateful that Spring has arrived - prayers to all those being faced with loss to flooding.  

 

Take care and be good to one another!

 

Love It!

Canada Goose Pencil Study

(© Bruce A. Morrison - from a private collection)

Spring starts "officially" on Sunday, but it's presence is obvious and in your face this week.  Love it!

There's been flock after flock of Canada Geese flying through and over the valley the past couple weeks.  Each morning brings the sounds of "music" everywhere from the valley to the yard.  This morning the dawn chorus was exceptional.  

Great Blue Heron

(photograph © Bruce A. Morrison)

The Waterman Creek Great Blue Heron Rookery is filling up with returning pairs from past years.  The first birds came in two days ago...there were five individuals.  By last night we had 17 individual birds perching here and there in amongst the nests of past years...this morning there were over 30 birds and more showing up!   It's really quite a sight but the rookery is about an eighth of a mile from the road so binoculars are helpful!  This is the time of the year the heron "traffic" begins and its a blast to sit outside and watch the flight patterns flow - over the house and pasture and all around us during the morning, noon and evenings!  

Spring is really here!  I Love it!

Count Down 2!!

Great Blue Heron

Wow...March! Ya, I know it's been March since yesterday, but it's been a hard thing to comprehend because everything is still "very" white! The temperature still says "winter" each morning when we wake up, but it's toying with the freezing mark each afternoon and the sun is gaining height in it's arch, making it feel so much warmer on the face outside.

March is great...it's the first month of spring. But what a difference a year can make. Last year this week the Great Blue Herons were returning to their rookery across the creek from us. Today...Ha! No way. The creek is still frozen fast and buried in deep snow. But the rookery nests of the last few years are still standing like beacons waiting their boarders.

The studio work here is still immersed in the Watchable Wildlife web site project; I've downloaded 75 videos this week...now I have to embed them into templates I've set up and do google map work. The easel talks to me every day...all I can say is "I miss you too!" I have a feeling I'll need to scratch the camera's itch as well once the weather makes the "real" turn! From feast to famine and back!

Less than 3 weeks now - counting down!