... Just like the swallows returning to Capistrano ...

maybe they decided the South was no longer a safe place for New England liberals....

I guess the more left-wing a Robin becomes, the more it tends to fly in a circle (and get nowhere).

Maybe all the moderate Robins flew south and all the left-wingers and right-wingers just flew in circles.

If so, maybe people can learn from the birds.

In the winter, down South, robins seem to switch to a vegetarian diet subsisting on berries and such, so I don't suppose it's absolutely necessary for them to migrate. Growing up in Wisconsin, I remember that the first arrival of the robins was taken seriously as heralds of
Spring.

I've seen a few robins. I think - stupid bird! But I guess they stay sometimes.

Azaleas! Damn, I miss azaleas.

Warm today. I dug out a tee shirt, and seersucker pants which I've been dying to wear as they now fit me. I'll probably do the 50% bundle over this ensemble but I'll be thinking of happy new weather.

Divots in the ground! So our skunk friends have been busy. RP saw one early this morning, waiting to get into the neighbor's yard (there's a hole in their fence). I guess you gotta show skunky ID to get into the party next door.

PS The divots in the yard are from the skunks, looking for grubs in the soil. Since the grubs are not good for the lawn and the skunks do such a lovely job aerating the ground after the long frost, we don't mind 'em. They're very diligent workers.

The weather turned cold and wet this week, but the trees mostly have gotten their start and the azaleas are in full bloom. The banana trees are sending up fresh leaves, and the pear tree is full of blossoms. Among the late holdouts are crepe myrtles.

Spring time is baby time - as of yesterday we have a new addition to our
zoo - a "big boy"

the cold snap has past, and I got purple martens waiting in line for the birdbath. (they take a real shower, and expect the water to be kept topped up on a regular basis)

SKUNKS MIGRATE?

skunks

there appears to be one planning to set up residence in the neighbour's yard

oh dear

often a bit stinky around in the mornings

~~~

down at the beach, it's the birdwatchers looking for migratory birds

due to the big winds recently some birds got blown off-course and we're seeing a few lifelist birds for folks

Earlier in the week I came home from work and outside my kitchen window the azaleas were full of cedar waxwings. They hung around thinking the buds on the azaleas were berries, I guess. Beautiful birds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cedar_Waxwing-27527-1.jpg

They hibernate, they den wherever they can, and in urban areas that often seems to be basements if they can get in, or ditches.

Oh I love cedar waxwings. Such stylin' birds. And purple martins!

These signs of Spring are doing my heart good.

I just finished planting grape vines. Aside from being a lover of them, it feeds my bent for nostalgia, since I spent the greater part of childhood in California's grape producing country. One is a red seeded variety and the other is a white seedless kind. I need to go back and put up a barrier so the dog cannot dig them up.

I was just writing praise to witch hazel on the smile thread.

Witch hazels in bloom mean winter is nearly done - or at least that we're closer to the end of winter than the beginning.

Road crews.