To the editor:
The first sign of spring here in Amity that I usually notice, is our local pair of ravens that begin carrying large twigs and sticks to build their nests. Ravens lay their eggs early and probably they hatch out to coincide with the thawing out of carcasses from the animals that did not survive the cold winter months. Everything happens in synchronization, all well-planned by their Creator. Ravens get busy with nest building sometime in the middle of February, or early March, varying according to the mildness of the spring season.
The crows come back around this time to Aroostook County, although some may have braved the winter if there were food sources available to them. Common grackles and red-winged blackbirds come back, even when there is still a good amount of snow on the ground. They clean up the sunflower seed from around the feeders as the snow cover melts away.
The robins show up when the protruding mounds of soil and grassy knolls begin to have exposed areas, melted by the warm sunshine and spring rains. This year we have had two male robins stay all winter. They have relished the raisins put out for them each day.
White-tailed deer, who in late February or early March, are walking on the frozen crust and are able to run without sinking down through the snow, now get the first tastes of spring greens. Food that blesses them with some extra energy to put a little more speed on, and widen the gap between the coyote’s teeth and the deer’s hind legs. The coyote will have to hunt mice a little more often, until the does begin to have their lambs (fawns) in late May or early June.
The northern harrier (marsh hawk), returns around the end of March and hovers over the brown grassy fields looking for mice and other small animals. The black-tipped wings of the silver males and brown females are one more symbol of the end of another winter.
Listening to the welcome sounds and sights of the Canada geese overhead makes my emotions well up inside of me and I say, “Oh, the geese are back … we’ve got it made now.”
Often not seen or heard overhead are the common loons, solitarily flying back to our fresh water lakes, after a winter in the salty ocean. A loon on a winter hunting or fishing show calling those familiar sounds will make my heart sink, and I just want to go back home to my father’s place again. I grew up with those sounds on Drews Lake in New Limerick. They were certainly a welcome sign of spring, after the ice had gone out.
One of the signs of spring in April is the chattering of tree swallows, perched on electric wires or flying high over their summer nesting areas, swooping after insects. Sometimes they return on a warm spring morning when there’s still snow on the ground. We often get snowstorms, even after they return, and I wonder how on earth a South American bird makes it through, after such an untimely arrival. They must head to the coast for a while and then fly back inland again.
Within a few weeks, the barn swallows come in, their long forked tails and brown bellies distinguishing them from the white-bellied tree swallows. They have waited for somewhat warmer weather to arrive before following the other swallows’ path of migration.
By the end of April, (and it always seems like it’s the very last day), the frogs begin to peep in the roadside ponds.
May is “bear month”, especially here in Amity. The birdfeeders must be brought in, at least overnight, and all trash cans must be kept in a “bear-safe” location. We keep our trashcans covered in our cool dry cellar.
Bob-o-links, bluebirds … and “blackflies.” Baltimore orioles, ruby-throated hummingbirds and American bitterns, … but wait … now spring evolves into summer, this is the time for the “roses to bloom”.
Noreen Hanson
Amity
P.S. I have kept a record on my calendars over the past years of when things happen in spring, etc. I find it encouraging, at this time of year, to see that spring is on its way. I thought maybe others might enjoy the record.