(Click on all images to enlarge them).
Not much snow this year - yet!
But then 2 days later the snows started in earnest as we had to hightail it home and didn't get back up until May.
So, the next time we saw the pond was May 7. It was mostly thawed (a little ice on the bog) but was taking a heavy hit on pollen:
(Click on images to enlarge them)
But, immediately the frogs were chorusing, our species #14 of butterfly - an Echo Blue - appeared (see above) and the
birds began arriving, including bird species #53 - the Black-throated Sparrow you see above...he was just passing thru on Spring migration however!
One of our favorite birds was also an early returner - the Yellow Warbler. And by the 8th, the pond was thawed.
But by the 14th, the scourge of the pond was back....who is this 'devil' - well, none other than the Brown-headed Cowbird.
You see, Cowbirds, like this female lay their eggs in other bird's nest, particulary the warblers that we love so much.
Plus, folks put birdfeed out and thereby feed the cowbirds, thus encouraging them, while Warblers eat only insects....
thereby providing us a service, besides being so pretty! Click on the female's image to be taken to a set of photos of them.
We had one male and six females forming a group this year :-(
To balance the good with the bad, that's the same day that a Grouse hen walked up the driveway just ahead of Dave.
Click on her thumbnail to see several images of her! Her mate 'booms' up in the trees all Spring.
June (click on images to enlarge)
The pond was back to life when we arrived in early June.
The bright green floating masses are duck weed that we brought up from our Sebastopol pond to help form shade for this pond. 
