The First Robin

I saw my first of the year robin today. It was walking across our wet lawn, near the bird feeder. While there were no other robins, it was not the first new addition to the bird landscape. A purple finch helped itself to some of my thistle seed today. We have yellow finches off and on throughout the winter, but it's been months since I saw a purple finch. We were also visited by some red winged blackbird, a chickadee, some sparrows, and a cardinal. Business at the birdfeeder has definitely picked up.

Does that mean winter's over? I think that technically winter ends about March 22nd. I was talking about the seasons with some kids at school last week - fourth and fifth graders. I joked and told them that our area's seasons are almost winter, winter, still winter and summer. The just looked puzzled at me. They've never known anything else. I, on the other hand, have lived other places - warm places...

The sounds of the night have begun to change, as well. A few days ago I heard frogs shortly after dusk for the first time. And in the morning when I go out to my car the birds are now singing in the light of dawn. Soon there will be crickets, followed by a progression of other night time noise makers.

Of course, we may still have a white Easter.