The birds are this year's key to a Fernnook Spring.

Of course, there are the ducks and chicks that Joel
has (BTW one of the fat ones that will eventually
ask to be eaten bit the dust). Chicks can be
tricksy like that...as I well know.

There are the chubby and cheerful robins that are spread
hopping all over the front yard.

There are the many smaller birds that are busily building
their nests in the bushes in front of our home. Hattie
worried yesterday because one of them is in the midst
of thorns. That seemed rather painful to her, but I
explained that the thorns were really a protection for
the little bird family.

On Saturday Kent and the kids were playing basketball
outside when Tyler came running in to get his binoculars.
They called me out to see the bald eagle that was
swooping to the east. Tyler got some pictures with
his binoculars, but the eagle was too far away to get
any that were clear. I think that is the first time
I have seen an eagle in a natural setting.

On Sunday I was puttering in the house when I heard a
raucously loud noise outside. Thinking it was a gaggle
of geese flying over, I ran out to see. No geese. Rather,
the noise was made by a large flock of (ugh) starlings
across the gravel in an overgrown field. They were perching
by the hundreds in a brushy group of trees. Suddenly,
on my left, not more than 20 feet away, a hawk, flying
like a bullet, shot past. He was calling out his high
pitched eee eee eee battle cry. Unfortunately I was not
able to see what happened when he reached the starling
flock. Hopefully he got himself a good dinner.

I guess we'd better think about getting the hummingbird
feeders out and cleaned up, though we still have a little
time before they arrive.

Oh, lovely, lovely, lovely spring. It is such a beautiful
reminder of the hope God has laid before us for eternal life.