In between the rain that has arrived at last, I have been stalking the songbirds around the cabin this week. The light has been infuriating, but I am stubborn. The monochromatic Oak Titmouse, signature species of the oak woodland where I dwell, is so quick it is difficult to track through the naked branches as it forages. The only reason I can keep up with it at all is the constant noise it makes.

A pair of Western Bluebirds appears to be nesting in the vicinity of a clump of mistletoe, and the male has been perching in the tops of a variety of nearby trees.

A trip to a local pond for a walk included a visit from a Great Egret, often seen perched in a tree along the shore. Another series of storms is headed our way, and I will be perched for quick trips outside in between to catalog more harbingers of Spring.