Geese on the wing

[pbray]

The geese have arrived. They flew over my house to land at the park at the end of my street--two batches of them, about a half hour apart, calling to each other as they passed by. It's an odd sound, nearly mournful, as they flew so low over the house you'd swear they were coming to visit.

They arrived after dark, as they usually do. The days are getting longer, but not quite long enough. They'll go on their way in the morning, and then for another night or two other flocks will arrive, and then it will be over to the fall. At least the snow has started to melt, so they'll be able to find unfrozen water and patches of bare grass. If they'd come less than a week ago, they would have faced below zero windchills and a frozen landscape.

Spring ahead is a ridiculous custom, whether it is in March or in April. But the sound of geese, now that is the sign that spring is coming.

Comments

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

It's nearly spring here, too. The minute the daffodils open I will have to have the hummingbird feeder ready.

I love when the geese fly overhead, calling to each other. Something wonderful in that sound.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Saw geese yesterday. Waiting for robins.

[libwitch.livejournal.com]

moving the clocks is an artificial indictor of spring.

I watch for the birds waking me up (its happening) and the equinox; and the trees starting to buds and grass turning green. Although that last one seems to sometimes happen in one fell swoop, sometimes after one rainstorm!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the birds were starting to wake me up last week, but now with the time shift I've gained a reprieve for a bit.

The best is in the summer when my window is open and the birds begin chirping merrily at the first hint of dawn. That's when I want to throw a rock and scream "Stop being so damn cheerful and go back so sleep!"

[aeriedraconia.livejournal.com]

I don't mind cheery birdsong that early but I object to heckling crows and blue jays.

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

I've heard the red-winged blackbirds. Yep, Spring is coming!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

The crows that walk on my roof are so fat the first few times I heard them I swore that it was a raccoon or a cat.

Cheery birdsong is okay in moderation. Chirping "Look, we've built a nest right outside your window and now the eggs have hatched and isn't it cute how hungry they are at 5AM?" is not.

[libwitch.livejournal.com]

sadly, they never listen when I do that. They just twirp louder.

Actually, I lived in one apt when I was in grad school, and I never slept well. I never figured out why until after I moved out - there were no trees in my neighborhood, so I never heard any birds. Drove me nuts, I think.