Heart of Dogness

Yet another sign of Spring: at the beach

On Saturday, my Lovely and Charming Wife and I went to Long Beach (not this one) for a walk. We left the Mutts behind so we wouldn't have to worry about them terrorizing the dogs who walk there (that'd be Gus) or chewing the local fauna (that'd be JoJo). We wandered out to the end to see how Mutthenge had fared over the Winter.

On the way back, we noticed three tiny birds running along the edge of the surf (not much surf at Long Beach; maybe a couple inches). They weren't acting like sanderlings, which are mostly gone by this time of year anyway.

They were Piping Plovers, the earliest I've ever seen. Last year they were here around April 1; the year before, around April 15. Never before in March. At this rate, they'll be year-rounders pretty soon, cluttering up the parking lots at the Mall and demanding that Four Seas stay open through the winter.

Spring is here. WHAT? I said, SPRING IS HERE!

Just about a week ago, I heard the first Spring Peeper of the year. This us unusual. Most years, I'll hear one or two peepers on a warmish day in January. When it gets cold again, they slink back under the mud in embarrassment and pack it in until now. This year, we didn't have any warmish days in January, so the first peeper cranked up last week.

The next day, there were perhaps a few dozen peepers. The third day, pretty much the whole chorus, seven million or so strong. The fourth day, the American Toads added their trills. They're working in shifts, to cover both day and evening hours.

Today, there are flocks of mixed blackbirds: starlings, grackles and redwings, in trees all around my yard.

It's LOUD around here, folks!