Monday was a pretty amazing day, though many people would have a hard time believing that. You see, it was NOT a hot, sunny day and it was a day I spent forking cow shit for around 6 hours.
Yet it was a perfect day for barn cleaning and one could not ask for a nicer setting. We got much needed showers off and on all day and I was working just a few feet from the edge of a large marsh lake that holds a nice amount of water considering it was almost totally dry last fall.
And such sights to behold!
I watched several groups of Canada geese that at one point arranged themselves into two which looked for all the world like armadas facing off. I have no idea how they ended up in that arrangement but it was pretty amazing.
There were a couple of actual aerial battles as well. One of these battles is typical on our lake as a little red winged blackbird attacked and drove off a large raven. You often see these brave little birds fighting off much larger birds of prey, either alone or in pairs.
Much more rare, however, was the scrap I witnessed between two sets of Trumpeter Swans. If you have never seen a Trumpeter swan, you are missing out. These birds are massive, majestic, and incredibly powerful. Anyway, I assume the males of the two pairs got into a fight on the water and then both took off in flight, taking the battle to the air. All four birds circled a couple of time, flying fast at each other and circling to come right over my head a couple of times before flying out over the lake and going their separate ways.
Come to think of it, I guess it could have been an older couple driving last year's offspring off a distance to make room for this year's batch. Either way, what a sight.
Of course there was also the smattering of various ducks and seagulls doing their thing but this is a daily blessing that we tend to take for granted. But there was one more rare-ish sight that day. In the morning as I headed out to do chores, I looked up to see a flock of pelicans circling directly overhead. 15 of the graceful birds had come to our lake to investigate. This is the second big flock we have seen this spring (although admittedly it could be the same group), when we normally only see one or two small flocks later on into summer.
What a day!
4 years ago
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4 comments:
Very cool. Its just awful down here weather wise but seeing tne birds outside makes me happy. Okay, they are not pelicans but bluejays:) I'll take what I can get!
I don't understand why some people can't get that shoveling manure is about a wonderful as any other job. It's just all in how you look at it. It really does sound like a beautiful day.
I agree Teresa. Its certainly good exercise, at the very least.
Linda, bluejays are something we see very little of here. Sometimes over at our summer pasture half section but not at the home farm. I hope you get some better weather soon.
HI Jerry
Way to cool!! We often hear cranes, geese, and swans, but don't really see them. Well, I usually don't see the swans. Except a couple of years ago, two stayed in our dugout for a couple of days, before they continued on their way.
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