The weather had changed abruptly overnight from a cool rainy April to early June weather. At 74 degrees and sunny, I couldn’t wait to get outside. After feeling like a sloth all winter, my energy levels elevated in spite of having a poor nights sleep. After a stressful day, I rushed to the marsh to look for red-winged black birds. They were absent last time I checked. Apparently they migrate for winter and had not returned yet. The second I stepped out of the car, the air was filled with an abundance of bird songs. I knew immediately that they had returned. The air was bursting with life. Snow was melted away and the cattails were in full view in the marshy waters. I could hear the birds among the cattails but couldn’t spot them just yet. I kept looking.

Suddenly movement caught my eye. Swimming through the water I saw a creature. I was just starting to focus on it with my camera to determine what it was, when the red-winged blackbird appeared in the frame to perch on a cattail. The autofocus shifted to the bird and I lost the water creature. Simultaneously excited and disappointed, I photographed the singing blackbird. He remained there for a while before flying further off to another cattail.

Scouring the marsh for other birds, the movement caught my eye again. There swimming across the marsh was a beaver! I snapped several photos before realizing where he was headed. A beaver dam of carefully placed sticks rose above the marsh vegetation. As I watched the beaver disappear into the dam, another red-winged blackbird flew over to perch on top.

The birds called across the marsh, some of them stopping to perch on the power lines. Suddenly a smaller bird appeared on the wires. Inching closer, I discovered a little blue bird with a bug in its beak. I could stay here all day and watch for new wildlife to appear, but I still had many things to try to get in before the sun sets. 

Hurrying home, I gathered my dirt and my seeds and rushed out to my raised bed garden. A chorus of birds surrounded me as I cleared leaves and sticks out my bed. The leaves kept the dirt fresh over the winter. Decayed cucumber vines still clung to the tresses. With a hint of sadness, I removed them from the garden as well. I reminded myself that I will grow new ones this year. Sowing season is finally here. I added more soil to make sure the roots have a lot of room to grow. I brushed my hair back from my face with the back of my hand and tried to dodge the mosquitoes hovering in the air around me. Finally, I planted my pea seeds. I can’t wait to watch them grow.

After this accomplishment, I sat on the patio to enjoy the last bit of warm sunlight and rest. A song sparrow in the apple tree serenaded me. I had missed his song in the winter. As the sun dropped behind the trees, I remained on my patio to soak in as much of this warm weather as I could. The songs of mourning doves, grackles, chickadees, titmice, and robins, filled the air. Goose bumps started to form on my skin as the gentle breeze, once warm in the sunlight, cooled off. The last rays of sun dipped behind the trees leaving cool twilight. Over the river, a swarm of vultures was circling, and the night grew quiet as the sun set. When I closed my eyes that night, I could still hear the marsh ringing with the melody of the songbirds.