Crops and Clips - Signs of spring

The March full Moon, AKA "Worm Moon," creeps out from behind a cloud as we set out into the cool air a half hour before sunrise:



Spring is a time for departures as well as arrivals. New leaves and winged seeds appear on the Red Maples:



Winter residents are packing their bags and saying goodbye. We suddenly miss the rattling calls of the last  Belted Kingfisher...



...and the bobbing tails of Palm Warblers :



We will especially miss our wintering Painted Buntings. This male surprised me out in the wetlands by suddenly landing within camera range and sitting for a few seconds, just enough for me to obtain a portrait:



Yellow-rumped Warblers gather into flocks and soon disappear:



Some Black-and-White Warblers overwinter but their ranks are swollen by new arrivals who join them for a mass exodus:



Most migrants are seen for a few days as they simply pass through on their way north. Northern Parula warblers arrive early:



Resident birds undergo changes. Great Egrets sport plumes and the bald flesh in front of their eyes turns green:



Male Red-winged Blackbirds stake out their territories in anticipation of the arrival of the females:



Yellow-crowned Night-Herons begin displaying before prospective mates:





Our local Bald Eagles are nurturing two eaglets. They are a month or more behind schedule, as they lost their first two nestlings last year and raised a second brood. They were busy feeding and training the lone surviving eaglet well into September. This is probably why they delayed nesting by 4-6 weeks, but their two new chicks are growing rapidly:



A mother Virginia Opossum guards her half-grown youngster next to our neighbor's fence:



The little one seeks safety in a tree:




Thank you all for your expressions of condolences on the passing of Mary Lou's brother, Richard. She has lost three of her five brothers in the space of three years, beginning with Larry, who was my high school and college classmate, and Jack, who died only a few months ago. Sorry if I have been slow in catching up on correspondence but we so appreciate your concern.

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Gosia

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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