Signs of Spring

Well, not really spring, but the change of the season is starting to be evident. There was a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks cruising together at Lake Leatherwood, and the calls were not the usual long single syllable scream, but something shorter with two parts. Maybe a prelude to mating. Both Chickadees and Cardinals were singing territorial songs, the first I've heard this year. The water in the creek leading into the Lake was distinctly turquoise, a phenomena due (as I understand it) to the flushing of fine particulates from underground passages where they have accumulated during the dryer parts of the year. If someone knows of another explanation for this widespread Ozark phenomena, I'd like to hear about it. Bird variety was up, and there were many, maybe a hundred, Goldfinches tearing the sycamore balls apart, sometimes accompanied by Purple Finches

Dark Sky for Comet Viewing

The moon is approaching new, making conditions better for viewing somewaht dim Comet Macholz in the next few days, if the cloud conditions permit. Here's a skymap showing where to look for the comet, best with binoculars.

Lots of Kinglets

Today at Lake Leatherwood, I found a half dozen Golden-crown Kinglets and six Ruby-crown Kinglets. Nothing else special, but there was a Cooper's Hawk flying over the Leatherwood Trail.

Lake Leatherwood Kinglets

Things are slow at the Lake in terms of new critters showing up. I had two Bald Eagles on Sunday, and lots of Golden Crowned Kinglets. Otherwise the ususal suspects, duck variety and numbers unchanged, and a lot of Purple Finches.