Hello, and happy Tuesday! Mark and I both had today off work, so we decided to get outside and enjoy the day. We visited Westwood Hills Nature Center, and wandered the trails around Westwood Lake, with a few side trails
thrown in for good measure. In all we walked a little over 2 miles. The trails were mostly dry…well, a lot of the trail was boardwalk and it was dry! There was still a bit of snow to be found here and there, and a few places were wet and/or muddy enough to require some navigation. But overall it wasn’t bad walking, and although it was a little cloudy, it was a fine day to be out!
It was also another great day to look for birds. Some of the first-of-year (FOY) species we spotted included: Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush, and Yellow-shafted (Northern) Flicker. I was fortunate to get photos of all three birds, and then some…
At one point, we turned a corner on the boardwalk and came nearly face-to-face with a Wild Turkey. He immediately scurried off the walkway so quickly I didn’t have time for a photo, but we spotted a couple more turkeys further down the trail…
There were some non-avian critters out and about as well, getting down to the serious business of spring…
I admit it, we were captivated by all of this wildlife, as each critter mostly went about its business without a second thought to our inconsequential presence so nearby. But we were also captivated by signs that the many dull shades of winter are, at long last, giving way to the vibrant colors of spring and summer.
On another note, I do find it interesting, and a bit puzzling, when I pass people on the trail with earphones plugged firmly in their ears. I love music, and used to jog with earphones so I could run in time to the beat of my favorite songs. But if I could be so bold as to make a recommendation… if you are planning on taking a walk in nature, try to forego the music, at least once. Nature has an infinite variety of songs she’ll play for you if you listen. Today, along with all of the myriad bird calls and songs, we were treated to the music of trickling water, the splash of the muskrat sliding into a pond, the rhythmic squeaking of the squirrel gnawing on its walnut, and the joyous cacophony of Spring Peepers!