Signs of Spring

It's not just the plants that are announcing the imminent arrival of spring. The birds are too. I'm starting to see some familiar friends at the feeder. Yesterday a flock of starlings arrived. They are still in their winter plumage but their beaks are bright yellow, their summer coloration. They love the suet feeder, two of them crowding on it at once. Today I saw first a pair of downy woodpeckers and then a pair of housefinches. They must just be setting up housekeeping. It's rare to see both male and female at the same time during the summer when they are busy raising chicks.

My Madonna lily is showing signs of life:

I planted a second one, but haven't seen it yet. Also in that same bed with the hyacinch and mystery tulips is a clump of crocuses that I didn't plant.

Speaking of crocuses, here is a gratuitous picture of crocuses growing in front of my house:

It is one of those rare photos that actually came out well. It's a great start for my 2006 slide-show screensaver at work. I'm afraid you will be seeing lots more gratuitous photos on my blog. I installed DSL over the weekend and it has made uploading photos sooooo much easier!