End of March

As March draws to a close I am hoping that April will bring us more Spring. There should be some returning birds and flowers and greenery should return. It's been a month of ups and downs. There have been lovely days where I thought Spring was finally arriving and days when it felt as though we were back in winter, and it would never end. I think that might be part of Spring in Michigan. 

On this last day of March, I was really pleased to see my first sighting of a Golden-Crowned Kinglet! It is the first of the spring returners

Another first, in a while, is this lovely Phoebe. 

What a lovely end to the month!

March 27th - March 30th

 March is drawing to a close, but it still seems a lot like winter at Asylum Lake. I keep waiting for more signs of Spring, but it seems to be coming slow. 

There's still some snow on the ground, but there was lovely sunshine to start the week

A Bluebird was sitting out in a tree by one of the birdhouses. I think they are starting to think about nesting now and trying to claim the birdhouses before the Tree Swallows arrive. 

Down by the lake a Mute Swan is still putting in an appearance. There are days when he is there and other days when I don't see him. I am hoping that some swan takes residence at Asylum over the summer. It's always lovely to see the cygnets especially when the parents are teaching their babies to fly. 

He put in an appearance several days in a row, even posing with a Canadian Goose. It's amazing to see the difference in sizes

It's also nice to see the Pied-Billed Grebes back again. They are frequent visitors in early spring. These birds are quite shy so they usually move away as soon as I get close enough for a photo. 

It was lovely to see another Wood Duck up in the trees. I love this time of year. It's surprising to see them up in the trees, usually I hear their squeaking sounds before I see them. This one is the male. He's very bright and colourful, his feathers arranged in a patchwork pattern. 

The daffodils are still popping up through the dead leaves. Soon the woods will be full of them. 

I saw the Pileated Woodpeckers again, but not at the tree I had hoped they were building their nest in.  They were in a different part of the woods. 

It's good to see there is actually a male and female Pileated in the woods. Even if they don't build their nest where I hoped at least there is hope that there will be babies!

March 26th - Just Snowy

 From rain to snow.  What an end to another week!

Scenes from a snowy walk. 

Through the fields 

Along the path 

And through the woods

Snow covered plants

And a couple of hardy creatures

It would be a little optimistic to think that this is the end of the snow!

March 24th - 25th

 Rain, rain go away. Grey and dreary days

The poor Snowdrops are looking a little worse for wear

Still beautiful though 

I was interested to know a little more about these lovely flowers. Apparently, they can symbolise modesty, due to their bell-like flowers that hang down loosely - shy flowers afraid to raise their heads. They are really beautiful. I've only found one small patch here that someone was nice enough to point me to a couple of years ago. Each year in early spring I go back to look and hope they have survived. The patch seemed a little smaller this year, but they were tucked up underneath a tree. They also symbolise hope - which is the lore that resonates with me. I like how strong and resilient they are even though they are small and delicate. 

Something else small and delicate is the lovely Chickadee. They can be seen flitting low and saying their names out loud in a sing-song voice Chic-a-dee-dee. I love hearing their little calls. Such beautiful little birds. 

Staying with small things, another visitor in plentiful supply at this time of year are the lovely little chipmunks. I know they are not everyone's cup of tea, especially when they are digging their little holes in the garden or chewing on things they shouldn't but in the woods they are really fun to watch. They have such character. They have to be careful though as there are bigger things in the woods that feed on them. 

A Cooper's Hawk perching low in the woods. It's really quiet as I walk through. Most of the small birds and wildlife know to stay quiet and still when he's around. It is quite eerie. 

They are so beautiful to watch. They have such patience. Sometimes they can sit for ages watching and patiently waiting. 

I don't think this deer has anything to fear from the hawk. She's too big for him. She was bedded down for the day, wet leaves all around her. I didn't watch her for long. I didn't want to disturb her. I walked further through the woods. 

I was surprised to see this Pileated Woodpecker at the same tree I had seen him at before. The hole is quite large. Is he making room for a nest? It's a tree I shall keep an eye on as long as I can before the leaves camouflage it. I would really like to see little woodpeckers with their heads sticking out of the hole as one of the adults feeds them. How exciting that would be!

March 20th - 23rd

Beautiful start to the week. The temperatures are expected to be above freezing, but it's a chilly start to the day. 

Perhaps it will warm up but at this moment even the goose can see its breath

The water is high along the lake, with all the rain and melted ice and snow 

You used to be able to walk out almost to the furthest down tree. Now it is under water

Last year I used to sit out on the tree there. Perhaps once temperatures warm up and the water evaporates a little it will recede. 

The resident squirrel is still around. So glad s/he is still continuing to thrive!

Close by a Brown Creeper was making its way up a tree trunk, flitting from tree to tree. These little birds are hard to spot and take photos of! These seem to blend in with the tree trunks. 

Another bird up in the tree was a Wood Duck! I love this time of year when you see them up in the trees. They nest up in the trees. At this time of year, early in the morning, you will see them up in trees. They are searching for nest cavities. They will use nesting cavities up to a mile away from water! Really interesting considering that a day after their babies are born they leave the nest and follow the mother down to water. 

This one is the female. I could hear her calling before I actually saw her. They are rather shy ducks. She didn't stay around for long as soon as she saw me, flying back down into the lake to join her mate. 

As I walked around the lake and into the woods I checked on the daffodils. I keep waiting to see their buds form and flowers grow. I can't wait! They are surely one of the first signs of the coming spring. 

It looks as though it will be a while before they bloom. I love how each year they manage to push up through the dead leaves they fell in winter. I think these had to have been planted by the residents of the Asylum. They are absolutely everywhere during the spring. I like the thought of how hardy they are, how they manage to survive the harsh winter and come back each year. No one manages them, or clears the way for them, they just thrive by themselves. 

End of Another Week - March 18th - 19th

As another week ends at Asylum things are beginning to change. The ice has mostly melted from the lake and the paths are clear of ice. It's lovely to be able to walk without wearing my Yak Trax. I have enjoyed the warmer weather this week even though the week ended a little cooler. 

View from the beach - look no ice!

Walking through the fields

The week ended with sightings of the beaver - think I saw one every day this week!

And Muskrats

And a Pileated Woodpecker pecking away at a tree. He looks like he might be making a really big hole!

A lovely end to a really busy week at the lake!