growth

The spring is all about birds nesting, plants growing, and people fishing and gardening. We are all connected and what a person does affects everything around them in profound ways.

This fisherman is laser focussed on the water, but other animals listen out for it's machine-gun-like alarm call. It is kind of unusual to see them out in the evening.

The white cattail roots have been growing through the mud all winter and now the early green shoots have burst out into sunlight. They recently were shaved back by massive agricultural mowers, but because of their huge root systems, this is not going to slow their relentless take-over of the ditches. Unless dug out, the silt they trap will eventually fill in the waterways.

There are many plants specialized to grow around humans. They prefer to grow on ""disturbed ground" where not many other plants can gain a foothold. This ditch bank is dry and also heavily compacted clay with awful drainage, yet by summer these young plants will be thriving uncontested.

This legume like plant prefers more sandy, drained soil. It also can use bacteria in its roots to turn nitrogen from the air directly into fertilizer. A neat trick when added to the ability to turn sunlight and gases into sugars and green.

The first of the trees have begun to green up and sprout leaves. Last year the elms came out first, but this year it seems to be more mixed.

Usually the fly fishermen are neater than this, if only because losing gear is more expensive for them. I am amazed more pets aren't injured walking on Andrews Lane by thrown away hooks. I know life life is often affected by entanglements in abandoned gear. The trout they are after need cold water to live, and that can be in short supply as the daytime temps rise.

This is an american widgeon. They have short beaks, and if you look close you will see the color is pale blue. They can hybridize with mallards, and are often found in the same environments.

This bird isn't even a duck, but a moorhen. They are a secretive bird found in the Rio Grande at the moment, and specialize in places with heavy plant cover near to open areas of water.

The brief snowfall today was likely not enough to affect these cherry blossoms, but the risk of a late frost is still pretty high.

the mix of low angle sunlight and the high grey clouds reverses the usually dark ground and light sky contrast. Basically, it produces some awesome photographs with eye popping contrasts.

You can also see the vunerable buds on this cottonwood. These roosting red wing blackbirds would prefer to be in the cattails, but their habitat has been removed by the mowers.

They will likely have to move into the south valley, where there is still areas of shallow water marshes and large cattail stands. Right now they are homeless.

Nicole Kurland, a reader of this blog recently sent me a digital painting she did using one of my photos of a roosting female wood duck. Thank you for sending me a copy to post, it came out awesome!