The big "Easter Snap" came, and I am thankful that it wasn't as cold as predicted--37 with sleet all night, but no hard freeze in the 20's. It has been reported that many fruit blooms and newly sprouted crops were lost throughout the south and east, but we were spared major damage. It is a good thing because the continuing drought is affecting the growing things enough already.
On my walk this morning, I heard great crested flycatchers and yellow throated vireos, but not much else in the way of returning birdlife. Some of the singing kinglets and chipping sparrows are still here.
Killdeer are missing from the landscape. They would nest in our rocky driveway, and I could always hear them at the ponds or in pastures--a result of the droughty spring?
During the cold windy weather last weekend we had an increase of hummers at the feeders, and an unexpected surprise was a group of orchard orioles that came to eat honeysuckle blooms. I was able to get a few photos, but they were in constant motion.
Today, after walking 5 laps, I began to bring the plants back out from the greenhouse and from under the tarps, put some tomato plants in bales, and planted various perennials I had bought for butterflies and hummingbirds. We also rototilled the vegetable garden, and in a few minutes I am going to place a few pepper plants in the garden--more things for me to water!
