New Goslings on the Ranch
Spring brings uncommon beauty to the ranch. The hay fields are a striking green, the creeks and ditches are flowing swiftly, the ponds are full. Birds are coming back to the ranch in droves. Red-winged blackbirds congregate in large flocks in the willows that edge the hay fields. Meadowlarks sing from the fences. Last night at dusk we saw the first large flocks of swallows swooping and diving by Horn Barn here at ranch headquarters.
The trout in the big pond survived the winter and we see the fish jumping often. Hopefully their numbers are increasing! Most of the willows that were transplanted around the big pond last year survived, and are starting to release their catkins as they settle into their new locations.
Waterfowl has also returned to the ponds. Ducks fly in and out and several Canadian geese have chosen the big pond as a nesting location. Three days ago, we saw our first family venturing out on the lake with newly hatched goslings (5 in total) and yesterday a second family joined them with another 2 babies. We’ve been watching them swim around, the babies following their parents as if they were on a string.
Soon fawns and elk calves will appear, and maybe even a bobcat kitten. There’s even a magpie nest by our house that we’re watching to try and see the fledgling magpies take their first flights.
We’re taking advantage of the beautiful weather to get some outside projects completed, like cleaning up the aspen groves near the cabins and checking for any winter damage that needs to be fixed. Hope to see you all soon!