After a long and silent winter, I’m pleasantly surprised by the sounds and activities of spring in the woods. Here I’m just showing you the photos, so you can’t actually hear any sound. But from the images, you can imagine the cacophony there.
The sky is busy, and the woods, actually noisy. Birds beating one another to nesting sites, usually in old tree trunks. All of them are vigilant guarding their own. Avian and human traffic collide. And it looks like the biggest in size makes the loudest calls. No, not me. Canada Geese own the woods.
They’re ubiquitous, their calls dominating the air. And of course, they have the right of way. I nearly got hit by this one:
Another standing tall, scouting for nesting site, or maybe guarding one:
They are all vigilant when it comes to protecting their nests:
I know how much it means to them… Here, a couple gazing out into the late afternoon sun from their front porch:
More are still flapping their wings to better trunks, or maybe just enjoying an evening dip in the setting sun:
In the meantime, there are others making lesser but more melodious calls, like the Robins, happy that winter’s finally over:
or the Northern Flicker, charging with renewed energy:
Some quietly sharing:
or enjoying the (relatively) warm(er) breeze like this Nuthatch:
The European Starling is not just another black bird. A closer look you’ll see the shiny plumage, and their calls are much more pleasing than those of the Geese:
But the major attraction in the woods is, again, the Owl Family. I’m amazed how they would come back to the same trunk for nesting, and that Papa Owl always stands on guard from a distance, his sharp eyes watching over his own.
I’m mesmerized by his calmness and cool attention. If he needs to, Papa can fight off a Canada Goose with his talons. But he knows when to use force, and when to just placidly stand guard.
This is the old tree trunk he is watching quietly from afar:
A closer look you’ll see Mama Owl nesting in there. I’m told by fellow birders that two Owlets have been seen poking their downy heads out partially. But after a long while waiting, craning my neck up, I can only see Mama:
I’ll have a better chance of taking a family photo once the Owlets fledge.
Canada Geese begin to converge near the Owl’s nest, trying to draw our attention with their jealous squawks.
As the evening sun sinks below the horizon, I can see this Goose making its nest not far from the Owl Family. And I know too, Papa will be keeping watch throughout the night, feeding and protecting his very own.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
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ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY ARTI OF RIPPLE EFFECTS, APRIL 2014.
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