OUT!! #20: Signs of Spring

As I mentioned in last weeks On the Wing, I'm revamping the OUT blog by posting on here once a week. I've recently gotten an internship that allows me unlimited time outside and the ability to teach others about the environment, the natural world, and the creatures that inhabit it. However, due to not getting enough sleep last night, I am instead inside writing the first entry I've put up here in a while.

Over the past week, my roommate and I have been tasked with looking for "signs of spring" that signal the end of winter and the beginning of the slow transition from the cold, dark times to the happy, warm times. This isn't to suggest one can't have fun in the winter, but to be honest after the snow we had up north, I'm ready for the buds and blooms of spring.

Today was rainy. As such, I had to go out to do a journaling activity which involved log rolling and invertebrate investigation. It was great! Despite the puddles of water and torrents of rain soaking me from head to foot (although my Carhartt kept me nice and warm throughout), I noted several types of  invertebrates, as well as, rubs on the trees from last years deer rut and saw a flock of White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) and Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) mingling together in the wooded tangles. As I traversed back, I managed to flush an American Woodcock that was roosting in a nearby thicket (Scolopax minor) and could hear the incessant peeping cries of Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) in the wet areas near the meadows. It was an entertaining walk and I look forward to our hike to another part of the property tomorrow.

Less friendly signs of a warm up were also apparent as I found my first Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis) crawling on my back today. Looks like bug spray will be a necessity from now on. Despite this little pest, much of my trips have been joyous exercises of nature observation and enjoyment. I've been fiddling with a new camera and have been putting most of the photos on my Flickr account and I've been keeping a bird list of what I've see on the property (38 so far and it isn't even migration season yet!) Most of all, I'm pleased I've found an internship that fits me so well and will hopefully provide me with the path I want to follow in life. Have a great week y'all and I'll see you over at On the Wing!