I am fascinated by critters. Always have been, and I hope I always will be. I don’t really have one particular animals that I am interested more than others. I just can’t help but be amazed by the intricate and special way that each one was perfectly created to be what it is.
One of the creatures I so hoped would be here, was barn swallows. With the time of year we arrived, I couldn’t quite tell if we had them or not. I looked in the rafters of the barn and saw many nests, but I saw a lot of other birds flying in and out of them. It wasn’t until the last few weeks as spring has really come into its own that we really started to see them in all their beauty. We have TONS of barn swallows. They swoop around all day flashing their blue and orange plumage as they catch bugs and do their part to offer some relief from the insects that are emerging.
Not only have I been thrilled to find our barn swallow population so encouraging, but we have discovered Purple Martins actually nesting in a Martin house we have here on the farm. That might seem obvious, but with all the other birds we have around, it wasn’t really a guarantee that there would actually be Purple Martins in the Martin house. But, surprise! There are! They have a beautiful song and I have so enjoyed getting to observe them up close.
Another nifty resident I recently became aware of is quail! I thought I had heard them out in the fields, but I hadn’t yet spotted one, so I thought I must be mistaken. Nay, nay! A couple weeks ago, we did in fact spot one quail. It hurried off as soon as it knew it had been discovered, but now I know and I smile every time I hear their signature “bob white” call.
With the warmer weather and longer days slowly getting established, we are getting more and more in the swing of living the farm life. We are moving cattle and pushing them back where they are supposed to be when they cleverly escape. We are rotating pastures to even out grazing and trying to remember to stop and take it all in, every once in a while. Time is flying here, and it is so easy to get swept up in it all. Have to try to remember to slow it all down from time to time.
Wishing you all a lovely May.