The Green Cocoon

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Things have changed around Hideaway Pond. Spring has woven a green cocoon around us. Overlook Mountain has disappeared behind a verdant wall of new growth. The sky is now our window to the outside world.

And the Hideaway is now even more hidden. A sylvan secret.

New critters have emerged. Small rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks the size of mice. Hummingbirds have been buzzing our hanging flower baskets. Robins, cardinals, gold finches and other parents of a feathered persuasion prospect for the chosen fare of their growing broods.

Poking their noses above the surface in quest of detritus from the latest mowing, the grass carp leave small wakes astern.

And turtles sun themselves on the bank. Some break the bonds of proper public behavior, their sun warmed ardour having apparently gotten the best of them. OK, it’s not a very inspired performance. But it apparently works for them. After all, they’re turtles. It’s Spring, And who am I to criticize?

Turkeys call in the woods but keep their small charges well hidden. And we have a family of raptors nesting in a nearby hemlock grove. Falcons, or perhaps sharp shinned hawks. Virtual blurs in flight, they remain anonymous. Mother Nature is a coy old lady. She keeps some secrets close to her breast.

A very nice surprise this evening. We assumed that we had seen the last of migrating water birds until next Autumn. But a pair of mallards splashed down in late afternoon. They’ll spend the night in the new weeds and spring undergrowth at the back of the pond. A pair of wood ducks arrived at sunset and went straight to the island where they apparently plan to bed down. Sunrise will light their way north.

Last night, our resident buck and his small harem of three visited. They’ve now donned the colorful rust red wardrobe of summer. A beautiful complement to the bright greens of surrounding spring foliage.

And this evening a real cervidaen rock star showed up. A large solitary buck dropped by and grazed from pond side vegetation. He embarrassingly lost his antlers after rutting season in January, but he has already begun to grow new ones. Much to his relief, I’m sure. He will soon be in “velvet”. His antlers will become fully grown by August. He waded along the edge of the pond for a few minutes. Then strolled to within a few feet of the porch before disappearing into the woods.

And Smokey is back. He knocked down one of our hanging flower baskets the night before last. He obviously mistook it for a bird feeder. He was good enough to leave it intact, though I’m sure this didn’t improve his early morning disposition. Bad enough a guy has to crawl out of his cave and prospect for breakfast at such an ungodly hour. He’ll be back. I hear by the critter grapevine that he’s been terrorizing dumpsters in the neighborhood.

Wild iris have become a growing green necklace around the edge of the pond. Their purple blossoms will soon bloom and reflect off its surface. Another colorful gift to Spring‘s bright palette.