I went out to throw some hay to the horses and donkey girls and cows a little while ago. Got a couple of cart loads in the feeder and was filling the cart again. Had heard some geese overhead, heading North, a bit earlier, and suddenly realized that they were REALLY REALLY LOUD! (The ranch here outside of Jarrell, Texas, is on a major migration route, so we're used to seeing all sorts of birds coming through this time of year, but this was really a racket.) So I stopped what I was doing and went to where I could see better. Phil was already watching, and had spotted them.
Rather than the regular "V" of geese that we usually see, there was a giant spiral of geese, all in one place, yelling their fool heads off. Going round and round and round, an enormous number of them. We were trying to figure out what they were doing, and looking for the binoculars.
Then, suddenly, a smaller V took off from the spiral and headed northeast.
A little while later, another smaller V took off.
Gradually, a few geese at a time, the giant spiral turned into perhaps 5 or 6 Vs, leaving one after another in a row.
In the meantime, we could hear another flock coming in from the south.
Then another one.
And another one.
And another.
All told, including the giant one that broke into several smaller ones, there must have been 10 or 12 flocks heading north.
I think it's spring, folks. The geese have spoken.
Oh please, please say it's so!
I'm in IL and I've seen them coming for the past week.. It is a wonderful sign :)
We're ready. We had lower temps than we usually do (albeit briefly), and WAY more snow (just the one time, but it stayed on the ground in some places for three days - woo hoo!) than usual. I was pretty sure spring was here because my mare Memory (the one in the photo) is always the last to shed out in spring because, even though she was born in Texas, she's a Morgan and has been convinced since birth that Texas is going to turn into Vermont any day now and she wants to be ready, and she's been shedding the last week.
All the signs of spring, if you listen and watch carefully.
Hello Tricia - Yep, Spring has sprung. Have a great weekend.