Groundhog Day, 2008

Groundhog Day, February 2, is the first real day of Spring. Buds begin to swell, ducks and geese move about, birds keep O busy filling the feeders, and squirrels chase one another with lust in their hearts.

Groundhog weekend began early Thursday morning with a critter sighting and good omen: a Skunk, primarily black with thin white shoulder stripes and a white-capped head, chowed down on sunflower seed 'neath the bird feeder.

Mid-morn, a Muskrat paddled across the river.

Later that day, O spotted two enormous white birds on the river. I thought they were Tundra Swans but further investigation proved they were Trumpeters. They came downstream, then up, and we thought they were gone, till they came back and cruised the riverbend for quite a while.

Trumpeters are the largest swans in the world and one of two native North American swans. Their wingspan can reach 8 feet. Cool.

Historically, they lived in northern Ohio, around Lake Erie. By 1900, they were nearly wiped out due to hunting and habitat loss. In 1932, it was thought there were only 69 swans left in the lower 48. The ones we saw were banded, so O called the local wildlife officer who told us they were being reintroduced to Ohio.

We've spotted flocks of robins the last couple of weeks; a lone one feeds in the yard. House Finches sing, Blue Jays and Titmice help themselves to the Red Squirrels' peanuts, while Hairy and Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers fill up on peanut butter suet.

Brown leaves cling to beech and oak, but not much longer.