Spring Watch 2011

I might as well call this Spring Watch 2011 - I mean, I might as well rename the blog. Chicagoans are on high alert for any sign of the season, but they are few and far between.

Sunday morning, with temperatures over fifty but thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon, I headed to a bird sanctuary I've been wanting to check out. I mean, I'm no expert, but I did not think that April 3 was too early in the season for a bird sanctuary to be seeing at least minimal action. But I was, of course, wrong. There was nary a bird to be seen, and in fact not a single bud or shoot or anything green. No signs of life whatsoever. For a Sunday morning nature walk in a season alleged to be spring...it was really depressing. The irony is that by late afternoon the temp was up to 67! Still grey and windy, but it didn't storm until after sunset. Ah well.

In other city parks, the ones that are more cultivated, less wild, I know there are crocuses budding. I know there are signs of life. One just really has to keep one's eye's peeled.

I'll keep you posted.


Storm tossed and unconsoled


The only birds I actually saw