After one heck of a migration!

... how 'bout a cheer for the Bar-tailed Godwit that flies from Alaska to New Zealand, NONSTOP! An 8,000-mile journey, give or take, without rest, food or drink. Now that's one tough little bird!

There are barely any buds on our trees yet, the leaves are just coming out and not many bulb flowers are up yet. Come back in a couple of weeks.

The birder guy I used to work with told me about birds doing most of their travel at night. Most birds can't forage for food at night, but if the moon is out they can navigate pretty well. So they do their heavy traveling by moonlight, land during the day and feed. Have heard the Canada geese on many a winter or late fall night, and seen them snoozing by the lakes during the day so I always thought of that as confirmation of bird migration techniques my colleague told me about decades ago.

More to come. We have some Canadians who overwintered here. And others who form big formations at significant altitudes flying over heading for Quebec and Labrador. A few Robins are back in central VT. Red wing blackbirds aren't far behind now that even the leftover piles of snow are sad remnants of Winter.

We're in full mud and stick season here in New England. Beware the unpaved roads. They're awfully "greasy" this week.