Thursday, April 14, 2005

Strange nestfellows I was just beginning to wonder if they were ever going to show up this spring, when I heard a familiar sound about ten minutes ago - a hen wood duck squealing in the woods out my window. I looked out just in time to see the drake on a branch, folding his wings, agiing his tail and craning his neck the way they do when they're keeping tabs on their gals. Then I noticed he was in the beech with a crow's nest in a fork about 20 feet above him. I don't now if there's a suitable hole for the woodies in that beech, but it would sure be funny to have a brood of ducks and a brood of duck egg robbers in the same tree. The woodies have moved on now to explore the rest of the woods, but I'm glad I spotted (or heard!) them this morning. This is the latest I have seen them since they first showed up a decade or so ago. They usually return between April 10 and 12 and have come as early as the 8th. They could have been here before today because I was turkey hunting last weekend. I might have missed them. I did see a pair a few miles from here on Friday, and Rick Persson tells me he had woodies in his nest box two weeks ago already. The squeal of a hen wood duck is one of my favorite wild sounds. It's right up there with the gobble of a wild turkey, the drumming of a male grouse and the "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody..." of the white-throated sparrow. Cardinal calls are cool, too, especially the way they vary regionally. If you're into favorite wild sounds, you'll love Bob White's Thursday Morning Art Review for today. Here's a tiny sample: "the rotten ice flowing through the narrows makes a soft tinkling sound, like a thousand tiny wineglasses toasting the new season" Go check it out. You'll probably want to subscribe. The best part is, Bob puts it up there for free. It's almost unfair that someone with so much talent as an artist can also evoke striking natural scenes with words, but he's a dynamite writer, too. I wonder if the guy can sing? Later... 7:30:35 AM    comment []