One day the trees were starting to bud out, and the next day- or so it seemed- robins were everywhere amongst the leafing-out trees. The trail is partially flooded again, but most of it is still accessible, at least to the intrepid with mud boots, and I'm taking full advantage of the later hours and the beautiful weather. Even the air smells clean and slightly scented; I want to bottle it and save it for later. As I walk in the early evening, I close my eyes briefly and stand still, hearing the chirps, and the woodpeckers, and the distinctive "whoo cooks for you...who cooks for you all" of the barred owl who has taken up residence in a tree near the trail. I imagine that I can hear the wings of butterflies and the dragonflies- who have not yet arrived but are surely on their way- moving through the air as they approach my neck of the woods.
When I wrote that robins were everywhere, I mean that along some portions of the trail, they are really everywhere. I would be walking down the trail and suddenly a burst of robins would explode from the ground, perching in trees just beyond my eyeball's reach. As I walked down the trail this afternoon, I noticed, amongst the robins, a lone tufted titmouse, hopping along on the ground cover. I made an attempt at a photo, but all the robins and the tufted titmouse thwarted my efforts and flew away. Well, perhaps another day. Nothing wants to stand still!
Besides- the butterflies are coming! Two weeks ago, nary a butterfly except for one or two faded question marks- but starting this past weekend, every day brings something new. Yesterday I got my first photo observation of a butterfly I've been trying to get for at least a year, a Falcate Orangetip. An hour later, I got another observation of a butterfly I have never seen before on the trail, a Henry's Elfin. Two firsts for my iNaturalist project in one day; that's as good as Christmas. On Saturday I think I saw a tattered monarch, but it flew away before I could get a close enough look to be sure. If it was a monarch, there will (hopefully) be more.
Warmer weather also means snakes. When I hike the trail, sometimes I'll have people ask me (I must give off a "I hike here ALL THE TIME" vibe, because I get asked questions a lot) if there are any snakes on the trail. I'm never entirely sure what to tell them because the answer is "yes", but I don't want them running away in terror, either. Unless you're looking really closely you'll probably miss quite a few of them; they're quite good at camouflage. I often wonder just what I'm missing when I hike; for every thing I see, I'm probably missing so much more.
Finally, because of the release from the dam, the pelicans are back. I could spend hours watching them fish and float on the river; I stop and tell myself that I am only going to watch for a few minutes and then before I know it, 30 minutes have gone by and it is almost time to leave. Even the pelicans seems brighter; I don't know if it is the late afternoon light or the pelicans themselves.
Soon enough it will be hot (dragonflies!), and summer will have arrived, but for now the Earth is waking up, and everything seems fresh and new.
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