Babies, babies, everywhere

In early spring we usually see a variety of Canada goose families in various stage of progress, but there were almost none. Radical shifts in weather may have caused them to be late, as gradually families of all ages and sizes began to appear. Some folks are not fond of this bird, but I was happy to have them back.    

Now we see large goose feathers scattered over lawns, as the adults are molting. At the same time, their young are growing in new feathers. For quite a while, no one can fly, as the adults also molt flight feathers. It is a vulnerable period, when taking to the river is the best strategy for safety for many. It is a thrill when we see them take off. 

At Purgatory cove, in Waltham, a swan family forms an idyllic tableau, the parents and young together in a tight group at the far end. One little head peeks out from under the mother’s wing feathers.

We have a spell of cold, raw, rainy days, followed by one perfect day. All the ducks and geese at the dock area are peaceful, seeming to soak up the warmth. A mallard pair lie on pavement; others stand on one leg or rest flat down by the river’s edge. A mother takes to the water, her brood quickly gathering to her, like filaments to a magnet.

Barn swallows mate in an old shed, then carry nesting material — mud and grass — to the rafters to build their structure. When they first return to our skies after migration, it is a breathtaking sight, as they swoop and dive to collect insects on air. 

A wild turkey mother, neck alert, guides her brood around stones at the Mount Auburn cemetery, the tiny chicks stepping up a small hill, until they are out of sight. 

A pair of bright orange and black Baltimore orioles are on the ground, perhaps collecting their own nesting material, to construct an elaborate swinging basket at the tip of a tall branch, away from predators. Their stunning coloration is a feast for the eyes. 

The area is filled with lush foliage, tones blending, complementing one another, creating a natural mural. Tender newborn leaves are soft to the touch.

A miniature raccoon peeks out of an elongated hole in a tree, mask and all. 

One year I caught the very end of the great blue heron nesting season in Concord, with many high nests on naked trees in a swamp. Almost every one held a large bird, and I couldn’t figure out what was happening until a parent came to feed one of them! The adult took off fast. 

It seems that a variety of species can have one last offspring which does not fledge with the others. One winter I observed a male swanling close to its mother in the frigid water, both accompanied by the apparently disgruntled male. He tried to push the young bird up onto the ice, not terribly aggressively, as if he had almost accepted the situation. The female, nonplussed, continued to forage. 

On a highway with my late partner, we spotted an osprey flying to a distant cell tower with its scrappy nest. Somehow we located it in a small picnic area in an industrial complex. There was one young bird in the nest, and we had the amazing experience of watching the parent teach it to fly from the nest and return. Each time it would go a little further, the young one following, until it got the hang of it! I still wonder at the serendipity of this moment. 

In a mall in New Hampshire, osprey parents built their nest on top of a flat street lamp, with cars and folks coming and going beneath. The two young had fledged, flying back and forth from lamp to lamp and then to the nest. The parents were probably foraging at the river behind the buildings, having successfully raised their brood in a most unusual spot. 

Turtles are out and about now, crossing roads, on their way from waterways to rich loamy earth in which to lay and bury their eggs. At this stage, the small ones may need a rescue to get to the other side. Only an intrepid soul would attempt to carry a twenty pound snapper to safety. 

Even if we are off to a late start this year, procreation abounds; just being alert to our surroundings, both in city and country, will reward us with views of new families making their way.