New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Ah. The sun feels so good now. Despite this past week's cool temperatures, with some days running ten to fifteen degrees below average for this time, the snow still went. Although some years I can watch it race down from north to south in the field across from my house this year it took a better part of a week for the snow to retreat to the far shaded end. The tall white pines there seem to hold on to the snow long after most of us are happy to let it go. The warm sun has been warming the now brown earth even on these too cool days. The lack of a late March snow has seen to that. So with a warming soil any snow we get now is going to be melting as it falls. I'd say we can pretty well say good by to winter now.

Temperatures are predicted to hit the mid 60's over the weekend. So my money is on hearing quacking wood frogs, and maybe even some spring peepers, by Sunday night. The BIG salamander night will soon fallow. This will be way ahead of last year as I just checked last year's diary and we didn't have peepers here in Epsom until April 13th. As I recall spring was late last year compared to most recently. The plowed snow pile still looms over my front lawn. Most years I can count on this plowed snow pile melting on or about April 15th. If indeed it is in the 60's this weekend then it may melt a little early as well.

We still have turkeys galore locally. I'm finishing off the last hundred pounds of corn I bought over a week ago. I'm thinking no more feeding for me. As the temps warm the chance of disease climbs for animals being fed. Plus it is time for all these hens to head out and start laying eggs over a wide area so that it will make finding the nest by a predator that much more difficult. Its what's best for the turkeys. The flock has broken up a bit any ways. Sometimes only three or four turkeys come in to feed.

Although most of the fields have been bare of snow going on a week now, I am surprised how slow the fields are to get any color. Not a bit of green up yet.  Other spring signs are abundant though. Yesterday I made a pussywillow run. My wife was asking if I thought there were any yet. Yup. I am seeing numbers of robins by the day. I have NOT heard a red winged blackbird yet. I should be hearing them right here at home by now. Of coarse the sap lines are stitching our forests in a spider web like appearance wherever I drive now. I expect the deer to be soon venturing out into the fields at last light any day now.

Lots and lots of things are happening every day now. No better time to be alive and enjoying life. Yes life is good.