April 2005

April 1, 2005

Not even the threat of another week of cold and wet can dampen the enthusiasm of this time of year. Our migrant guests have left their warm tropical habitats and will arrive in the coming days and weeks. On campus, our resident birds are busy setting up house.

Those tiny bundles of energy known to birders as Bushtits have left their gregarious social groups and are now paired. Both males and females can be seen on campus weaving their hanging nests with lichen and bits of spider webs. Crows gather twigs to place just right in their bulky, jumbled nests. With growing parental urges, they are becoming ever more protective of the space around their nests, chasing even the smallest intruders away. Male House Finches stand their lone vigils on the highest trees on campus—singing their warbling song. Dark-eyed Juncos call from more secluded perches, but proclaim their status as breeding males with loud repeated notes. To passing females of their kind, their strong song and striking plumage must be irresistible.

For everyone, early spring is a time of investment and hope. As the new quarter begins we pour our time and energy into an investment in our students, hoping to enrich their lives. Around us, nature’s denizens invest in their own futures and, in doing so, enrich our lives. What a wonder….

with an eye on nature,

Wally