The Spring is Sprung, the Grass is Riz...

I wonder where the birdies is (is the old saw). I wonder, too, where so many of the birds went this spring. To the Frozen Tundra? Seriously, did they FREEZE or leave us?
We have lots of birds at Oasis Communty Farm and a wonderful new one (barn owl!), but not the amazing load we had last year. No quail yet and few barn swallows. Few titmouse(s?) Titmice? or finches.
Seems true throughout our region. Last year at Ellis Creek, spotted 13 swans; this year, 4. Egrets? Hardly see a Snowy. A few new Great White Egrets. Once counted 21 snowies flying into Dempsey’s trees. Now just a dead heron is up there attached by fishing line, rocking himself in a tree he used to live in above the restaurant. Tragic really. Better to watch the ever-present barn swallows, red and blue, who swoop with joy over the River. They’re doing fine. Have spotted no Canada Geese and babies in the Petaluma Turning Basin this year, either.
Not to complain! We have scrub jays, robin’s nest full and then empty, occasional barn swallow, REGULAR mockingbird! Crossing fingers the barn owl spotted last two days (Nancy Long says its a good omen) will come into the nesting box we built for just for such a bird!
And we have new young chicks to fuss over – the little Black Star sexlink chicks I went to sit with and talk to today. They like singsong just like any baby. We got 14 but one tiny little girl couldn’t seem to warm herself and nearly died the first night. Should have hand picked the chicks. Otherhand, we now have 27 chickens and a doz. eggs per day for sale! See pics of that and our PLANTS.
This year is when the fruit trees are starting to show what they will do. Lots of bitty fruits on every tree, nectarines, cherries, sour cherries, some bits of leaf curl, but we asked and were told we could wait to treat for leaf curl, just remove the worst and I did. 3 veggie beds coming into their own – will be glad to collaborate w. Petaluma Bounty about getting food out to people who can eat it all up. Beans and peas and squash and garlics and you name it we got it.

Come visit! Much to be grateful for! And hopefully, next winter won’t be so cold and we’ll invite loads of friends to wander around in our new barn and make it feel like old friends have lingered here already for years. So very much to get ready for…