Lakeville Corner Almanac

 When I first learned how far these hummingbirds migrate, I was awe struck that something so small could fly so far. They fly from New Brunswick to Central America and during hurricane season to boot. It makes me wonder how efficient their flight technique must be. They are always entertaining to watch as they fight and chase among themselves for control of the feeder.              

 Bald Eagles have become so common here, they just aren't news anymore. They compete well with the local osprey population. Below is the remains of an osprey that was most likely killed by an eagle. It's one thing to steal an osprey's fish and quite another to eat the osprey too.

 Pileated Woodpeckers have a whooping call that reminds me of some kind of jungle monkey. When you combine that with their loud drumming, they are hard to ignore. For all his noise though, this particular guy was skittish and really didn't want his picture taken. It took the better part of two summers to get an unobstructed shot.    

  Nuthatches seem to do everything upside down. That makes them easy to pick out of the crowd at the feeder. We never saw a lot of nuthatches until we put up a feeder. These guys are entertaining to watch as they dance and jump around, always upside down. The problem with feeders though is that the squirrels always get the lions-share of the food.

 Foxes have a reputation for being curious. I have no idea how long this guy was watching me. I was struggling to get a picture of a doe from my kayak when I glanced up to see this curious onlooker. The local foxes like to do a bit of early morning beach-combing when there are no people around. Lots of tasty bits can wash-up overnight so it's worth the effort to be curious.

So it's early spring and you are tramping through last summer's decaying brush. Then you see it, that one solitary green thing in a carpet of brown and grey.  It's a sign of good-times and summer abundance to come. It's also a very busy spot; deer tracks, birds and of course the first bee of spring. This guy is packing a lot of pollen. It must be like getting fresh produce after living off canned food all winter.