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| The First Signs of Spring | ||||
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Spring Has Sprung!
Every winter I wait for the first signs of spring, and for me, the sighting of the first chipmunk heralds the coming of sunshine and warmth. I long for the reappearance of the fish pond long buried under winters mantle of snow and ice. I wait in anticipation for trees to bud, hints of green to burst through muddied earth, and the crocus and other spring blooms to push through the last fallen snow. Most of all, I wait for the birds to return from their winter homes and the emergence of our backyard animals still nestled in the safety of their burrows. This year it was Newbius Amadeus deMunk (Newbie) who was first to venture from his den. (You can see his baby picture by clicking here). He was born last spring and by mid-summer had moved into Chip E. deMunk's old chippy hole under the stoop. Interestingly, no one had lived in this burrow since Chip died in 2005 although we know other chipmunks ventured into the den during the year it was unoccupied. They may well have been taking her stash of nuts and seeds back to their own dens, but that's purely speculation on my part. Newbie had stocked up well on sunflower seeds over the course of the summer and fall of last year, so his early appearance was not one from lack of food. In fact, he hasn't really been interested in the sunflower seeds we've been putting out for him. It seems he has other things on his mind. He is after all the only male chipmunk in yard, but to his dismay, the girls are all still tucked away in their burrows. Mr. Ballsnall, who will be 6 years old this spring, has been the resident male. The last time we saw him was during the spring of 2006. He was really old and ragged looking but still spunky for an old chipmunk. We hope he made it through the winter, but unless he pays us a visit there's no way of knowing. (You can see his picture by clicking here).
Thankfully, this is just the beginning of the season and it won't be long before Newbie and I will be joined by the rest of the wildlife. Each year is a new adventure with different animals. Some stay while other are just passing through, but it's always a treat to see them all.
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