My wife and I frequently take walks around Perry Phillips Lake, in southeast Columbia; throughout this winter, the lake and its surrounding park were relatively devoid of birds (at least during our visits).
On this sunny, cool morning, all had changed. Birdsong was intense and a pleasing mix of species moved through the lakeside shrubs, across the grasslands and into the nearby woodlands. Dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers were most abundant, joined by lesser numbers of northern mockingbirds, mourning doves, eastern meadowlarks, robins, killdeer, song sparrows and an eastern phoebe. American crows noisily moved through the Park which was patrolled by a lone red-tailed hawk and an American kestrel; a flock of Canada geese passed over the lake where buffleheads, lesser scaup, northern shovelers, gadwalls and pied-billed grebes had gathered. Clouds of midges rose along the lakeshore and chorus frogs sang from shallow sloughs south of the lake.
While the spring equinox is still ten days away, the season has certainly taken hold here in central Missouri. Wintry incursions may yet occur but the higher sun and unsettled jet stream will fuel a march toward the heart of spring.
On this sunny, cool morning, all had changed. Birdsong was intense and a pleasing mix of species moved through the lakeside shrubs, across the grasslands and into the nearby woodlands. Dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers were most abundant, joined by lesser numbers of northern mockingbirds, mourning doves, eastern meadowlarks, robins, killdeer, song sparrows and an eastern phoebe. American crows noisily moved through the Park which was patrolled by a lone red-tailed hawk and an American kestrel; a flock of Canada geese passed over the lake where buffleheads, lesser scaup, northern shovelers, gadwalls and pied-billed grebes had gathered. Clouds of midges rose along the lakeshore and chorus frogs sang from shallow sloughs south of the lake.
While the spring equinox is still ten days away, the season has certainly taken hold here in central Missouri. Wintry incursions may yet occur but the higher sun and unsettled jet stream will fuel a march toward the heart of spring.
