Blown dry by recent winds and baked in the sun, my path to the wetlands has been transformed from a frozen winter-scape to one transitioning quickly into spring. There is cracked earth along the road, dried by recent winds and the light feels different. The sun's place in the sky has changed; shadows cast are at a different angle and there is a new warmth penetrating the landscape.
On the long straight road approaching the cow barn, white mineral residue has taken the place of snow. I notice tufts of different-colored hair embedded in the dried-up mineral encrusted mud.
At the Russian Olive, a landmark for turning west towards the wetlands, there is increased evidence of cow activity - tufts of hair hanging tell-tale in the breeze with freshly trod ground and nibbled branches below.
The bluebirds have returned. They have begun their ritual fence post perching through the area. One performs the ritual before me at the cow barn this evening. It is mostly the stunning all-blue mountain bluebird (
sialia currucoides) that we have here. From our trusty birdbook I have just learned that the ritual sitting on fence posts is related to a practice called "ground-sallying" which is flying from a perch (branch or in this case a post) and setting briefly on the ground to capture an insect before returning to a perch.
As I walk out to the wetland there is more mineral build up on the land. And although I find it on the one hand beautiful, I also wonder what the minerals actually are and if it has anything to do with the cows' affect on the land. They are like pastel micro landscapes.
The sun is dropping low although the temperature is much warmer than any of my previous walks. Although spring will be in and out until June (most likely!), change is in the air.
On the long straight road approaching the cow barn, white mineral residue has taken the place of snow. I notice tufts of different-colored hair embedded in the dried-up mineral encrusted mud.
At the Russian Olive, a landmark for turning west towards the wetlands, there is increased evidence of cow activity - tufts of hair hanging tell-tale in the breeze with freshly trod ground and nibbled branches below.
The bluebirds have returned. They have begun their ritual fence post perching through the area. One performs the ritual before me at the cow barn this evening. It is mostly the stunning all-blue mountain bluebird (sialia currucoides) that we have here. From our trusty birdbook I have just learned that the ritual sitting on fence posts is related to a practice called "ground-sallying" which is flying from a perch (branch or in this case a post) and setting briefly on the ground to capture an insect before returning to a perch.
As I walk out to the wetland there is more mineral build up on the land. And although I find it on the one hand beautiful, I also wonder what the minerals actually are and if it has anything to do with the cows' affect on the land. They are like pastel micro landscapes.
The sun is dropping low although the temperature is much warmer than any of my previous walks. Although spring will be in and out until June (most likely!), change is in the air.
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