Spring is like a Dragon
April 2, 2023
It’s calm. It’s chaotic. A roller coaster outside - up and down the thermometer, winds and storms with the occasional calm morning for respite. A roller coaster inside, up and down from calm to chaos, rest to restless, unsettled but with the occasional still moment. A turbulent season this early spring, like a dragon just waking from winter hibernation and trying to find her fire. Stretching her aching wings, roaring to hear her own voice, whipping up the winds with her flight and then settling in to rest.
On windy days I watch as huge flocks of ducks pass through. Northern shovelers with their spoon-like bills, lesser scaups in their black and grey, gadwalls with their round heads, small buffleheads with their white helmets, and smaller still the ruddy ducks with their distinctive blue bills. A few snow geese who are late to the party stand out against the darker (and smaller) ducks. One particularly windy morning I watch something large in white moving very slowly - lumbering almost - down the lake into the fierce headwind. My brain is confused and can’t connect the color with the size and the slow wings. It takes me a while to recognize a bird I rarely see - a swan! I think the small ducks have it easier in these winds.
Large flocks with hundreds of coots gather closer to the shore, feasting on what remains of the vegetation under the water. They scoot almost as one along the shorelines and then across the lake and I find myself singing “boot-scootin cooties” as I watch. Blue-winged teal and green-winged teal hide in the small coves and are nearly impossible not to spook. As I watch, a shadow passes over and I greet the first osprey of the season with a smile.
Across the lake, I see the familiar wobble-wobble flight that tells me the turkey vultures have returned. They are slow risers and prefer the warmer thermals of the day, so though they’ve been here a couple weeks I’m only just now starting to see them in the morning.
Behind me I hear the trilling rattle that can only be one bird - a purple martin has arrived! He seems to have a mate with him and they are scoping out the nesting boxes and evicting house sparrows. A barn swallow also makes a pass by to show me the martins aren’t the only bird in the swallow-swift family that has arrived. The bug eaters are back - which means the bugs will be back soon too.
Meanwhile on land large flocks of blackbirds have arrived. Common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, with a few rusty blackbirds intermixed. The first meadowlark of the spring sings on a fence post. Northern flickers are suddenly everywhere, making their presence known with their cackle. Eastern bluebirds are staking out the nesting box while robins, blue jays and juncos still appear in large numbers.
Hidden in the bushes I find a pair of fox sparrows. As usual, they are not very cooperative. They don’t like to have their picture taken! Three field sparrows flit around a pile of brush and a song sparrow jumps up onto a branch and sings. Everyone is singing now, they all have something to say.
My constant morning companions now are a pair of mallards who are likely about to nest in the marina. The female has decided I’m ok and though her mate is less sure he is determined to stick with her no matter what. She swims up to where I’m sitting on the ground, hops out, walks over and gives me a gentle good morning and then walks the other way with her mate. One morning I thought she was going to hop up on the dock on my lap - but it turned out I was just sitting in her favorite fishing spot. I forget that mallards will eat fish, I don’t see it often!
Papa goose also roams the marina every morning. I’m sure his mate has found a nest, just in the past few days. Rain or shine, wind or calm, he swims back and forth keeping a watchful eye on every creature that comes near. Beaver has also been a regular, making his morning swim around the lake and returning to the back cove. On calm mornings he might go right across but I notice on windy mornings he skirts the edges where I imagine the swimming is easier.
My favorite moments are the calm mornings when loon appears. I feel a child-like giddiness watching loon. So smooth. So magical. Her dive is so quiet - she makes her own hole and disappears into it leaving hardly a ripple on the water. Each time she dives I wonder where she might reappear. She might be right in front of me - or way out in the middle of the lake. She might disappear altogether. Loon reminds me to believe in magical surprises, that anything might happen and it just might be wonderful.
Every year is different. Every year is unique. Sometimes I get lucky and have an experience I’ll never forget. Here are three of my favorite early spring moments from the past:
Who knows what this year might still bring? I’m hoping to find a bit more equilibrium in the weeks ahead, to learn to dance with the dragon of spring in an easier way. I’m also hoping for wonder, amazement, and magic.
How is the change of season showing up in your world?
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I loved seeing the White Pelicans moving, diving. I wondered what the behavior is about. Mating perhaps? Thank you for your beautiful videos of Loons and Pelicans.
I love this post, Karen - both your photos and your words.