Nature Connection: Finding Reasons To Smile

The tree swallows have arrived which means there are flying insects for them to feed on which means that nature is in full spring gear. On a recent walk with friends in a conservation area that hosts multiple bird boxes for both tree swallows and bluebirds, we were fortunate enough to see both attempting to lay claim to a few well-placed boxes on poles in the middle of a field.

Swallows feed on flying insects at this time of year, though in the late summer and early fall they change their diet to feed on fatty berries such as bayberries. This allows them to build up fat reserves necessary for their long migratory flights. In late spring and summer, they feed on insects which they also feed to their young.

Bluebirds, on the other hand, are mostly ground feeders, preferring caterpillars, beetles, crickets and other ground-loving insects, and grassy areas are great places for them to forage. They also eat fruit and berries, and fields are good places to find those as well.

The two species share living spaces fairly well, but both must deal with pesky house sparrows and wrens that can be violent when taking over nesting spots. On this day several birdhouses had single tree swallows on their roofs, and one had a male bluebird. There was a lot of movement and chasing and settling and chattering, and it was clear that the housing claims were just beginning. We wished them all luck and continued on our way.

Robbins were active and a mockingbird was singing his heart out. A pair of eastern phoebes watched us as we stood on a small footbridge. For many years phoebes have nested beneath this bridge over a small tidal creek at the edge of a woodland and this year appeared no different. One sat on a branch flipping its tail on one side of the bridge while on the other side its mate sat quietly, its tail also flipping up and down as phoebe tails do.

A red breasted nuthatch called as it fed in the tree above us, and we could hear ospreys calling out over the marsh which was filling with a big new moon tide. The air was fresh and full of the scents of salt, mud, new plant growth and hope, the familiar heady scents of a Cape Cod spring.

Although spring is a time of regrowth and new growth, it is also a challenging time. Death also comes in the spring as young animals stumble about, easy prey for hungry predators. I was recently at a place where two dead ospreys were brought in by someone who found them beneath an electric pole, both electrocuted. Eversource tries to keep them off poles with live connections but can’t monitor every pole. If you see ospreys nesting where they shouldn’t, please report to Eversource to hopefully prevent a tragedy.

In my own vegetable garden, I found a nest of baby rabbits who all jumped out and headed in four opposite directions. I was clearing old grasses to plant some lettuce, never suspecting one of our resident rabbits had jumped the fence repeatedly to feed her babies. The young bunnies had open eyes, standing ears and lots of fur and were obviously able to take off when necessary. They all managed to squeeze through the fence in seconds. They were still very young, though, and I fretted about their safety. 

Mother rabbits have ways of communicating with their young, and I hope they found each other. I saw the mother discover the empty nest at dusk and she went to a nearby bush where she tucked in under some branches and watched, thumping her back foot every now and then, perhaps communicating with her missing progeny. The nest was ransacked the following night, torn up and tossed around so in a way I was glad they were gone. It may not have gone well for them anyway. I felt guilty for days. 

So, I watch the bumblebees waking up and listen to the bluejays defend their new nesting spot and wish desperately for some good news. I see the cardinals gathering nesting materials and listen to two flickers trying to outdo each other in the noisemaking competition they’ve been having for several days.

The flowering trees are thinking of blooming and every day I hear more birds singing in the early morning chorus. The ocean is blue, the sun rises and sets, and whales are filling the bay once again as eagles fly overhead.

There are miracles and signs of magic everywhere in springtime. I hope you find some reasons to smile as they unfold all around us in spite of the bad environmental news from all over the world.