Good news, bad news

My outdoor photography plans for the weekend are on hold until it gets a little warmer and last night's snow melts. Yes, major bummer, springophiles - so go look at Wayne's photos of daffodils instead if you need a warm-weather fix.

The one advantage of the snow is that birds come to the feeders - already this morning I've seen finches, blue jays, starlings, doves, a red-bellied woodpecker, and a pair of cardinals.

The cardinals are interesting - the female repeatedly flies over to the outside window sill and tries to come in. It's not like she's crashing into the window, it seems very deliberate perching on the sill. She's done this about 20 times in a row now.

Is this a good sign or a bad sign?

This morning, as I left for work, I saw open water in the wetlands behind our house. Six waterfowl were taking a swim.

Now, should I be happy that it's warm enough to thaw open water and provide sanctuary for waterfowl, or concerned that I've lost it, because no one should be this excited over two Canada Geese and four Mallards?

What do they know that I don't?

Several flocks of geese flew overhead yesterday - I don't know if they were coming or going, but there's definitely more them on the wing than there were a few weeks ago. They are flying neither north nor south, but apparently west, and are close enough to the deck to hear the beating of their wings if I'm outside when they pass. I've decided they are a sign that spring is coming, regardless of the sub-freezing temperatures outside.

Too early, you say? Despite the fact that we have at least two more months of cold weather, any sign of spring is encouraging. February is reported to be the prime month for bald eagle migration in Michigan, so why shouldn't geese be on the road again as well? The red-winged blackbirds also are reputed to return in February, and I am looking forward to having them around again, and to experiencing my first spring in Michigan.