Preview of Spring

All of last week and mostly so far this week, has been a preview of spring -- or possible an affirmation that the earth is getting hotter, earlier and seasons are shifting their parameters. Thursday was so warm Rachel and I did some errands that us took as far as  Orleans -- and, once in Orleans it would have been a shame not to go to Nauset Beach which, as Rachel says, is "real ocean", not the relatively tame "ocean" off Hyannis beaches because the islands, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard protect us from the bigger waves.  We were not the only ones who could not resist walking on the same barefoot.  Someone was surfboarding (in a body suit! of course) and many people were wandering around just plain enjoying the weather.  The new header picture is Nauset Beach which has reasonably serious dunes, much bigger than we have.

The early flowers are up, crocuses and snowdrops and the daffodils are pushing up shoots. In the laundry room a short while ago a neighbor reported that she had "a lovely crop of snow drops but "had" is the important word. This morning all the flowers were gone -- all the plants cropped at exactly the same level.  "Rabbits," said she.

"They're hungry," said I, "and they haven't had any nice fresh greens for a long, long time." Most of us look at the lovely sun and mutter to one another that there will be at least one more snow.  I think that's probably true ... but then, as I began, the seasons are changing.  We usually have iffy springs,  warm, cool, rain, spitting snow.  But let's see.

Turkeys are Taking Over

The wild turkeys are taking over the west end of Hyannis ... probably other parts too ... probably many other places on Cape Cod. 

I stepped out on my tiny patio to go to my car, saw the mob -- errrr, flock -- quickly grabbed my camera.  They took their time marching away but I couldn't get in front of them for the photo I wanted. That's probably the alpha male flaring his fanny at me. I counted 14 and I think they're all in this picture.

My daughter, who lives only a couple of blocks away, said that when she went out early in the morning to drive to her gym they were completely blocking Main Street. When she inched slowly forward she discovered how loudly they could gobble their assertion that the road was theirs and they'd move no faster than they wished.

In my picture they are definitely moving away, but until just a few seconds before I took this picdture the majority were busy pecking in the grass. Here at the beginning of February with small remnants from a snow storm last week, you can see the grass is brown and dry. I can't imagine any bugs were out to nibble on. As I think about it, this must be a hungry time for them.  They are big birds and they need quite a lot of calories to stay warm in the near or sub-freezing temperature. I don't know what they find to eat.  And I suppose many other wild things are also hungry. We have coyotes (I'm told they're abundant but I haven't seen any) which probably prey on the turkeys. Foxes might be their only other enemy but the foxes are said to be small, perhaps not a danger to such big birds.  

When I was small I thought wild turkeys were extinct.  What a come back they have made.