Spring Is Here

Spring is here. Along with the winter-hardy cardinals, finches, house sparrows, downy woodpeckers and blue jays, new voices are joining the dawn chorus. We hear red-wing blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, and northern flickers. The juncos haven’t left yet but will soon. Robins have arrived, but they’re being quiet.

The life on Owl Acres is waking up. The birds make the most noise, but they’re not the only ones celebrating the new season. For the humans, it’s time to take a look at Heartland Safari. We have over 200 posts spanning almost three years of work. We’ve looked at living things from coyotes to caterpillars, butterflies to water bears. We’ve tracked some of the human history on this little spot of land, and the deep geological history that underlies it. We’ve wondered how a fly flies and where the earthworms go. We’ve looked at over 40 birds and another 40 insects.

The original intent, as described in one of my first posts, was to learn enough about the land and the life on it to be able to answer a traveler’s casual questions about my own space. What I have learned is that life is far more abundant, resilient and fascinating than I initially thought. And if our little Owl Acres is that full of life and history, surely it follows that every space, big or small, has its wonders. All we have to do is open our minds and take the time to look for them.

As this new spring unfolds, let’s keep watching for the wonders around us. Have you discovered something exciting in your own space? Tell us about it in the comments. Do you want to review past entries? The search function on the blog is quite effective. Do you have a topic you’d like to know more about? Let us know.

Thanks for reading. Happy spring!

Photo by Author. The sun breaks the horizon, rising into a clear blue morning sky. Gold light washes over a red barn standing in a green field, in a panoramic setting of an Iowa hillside.