THIS WEEK A FACEBOOK TWEET ANNOUNCED the return of the Sandhill Cranes. They had returned from their winter migration back to the Arcadia Marsh along M-22. If you haven’t walked the newly constructed boardwalk, it’s on a "must do" list. There are many species of birds to observe in this wonderfully preserved habitat.
A few years ago, in early April, I wrote a poem about our avian friends coming back north. I remembered the lyrics came to me as I drove around Crystal Lake and looked all about the various landscapes and up into the blue sky. I saw all this activity and heard the birds singing. It was so hopeful and inspired my whimsical lyrics.
It had been some time since I had thought of this poem, so I went into my laptop and did a key term search not remembering where I had put the little poem, and like magic, it came back to me, and it made me smile when I read it.
Have You Ever Seen a Fat Bird?
I’m watching pairs of yellow finch's flutter about my garden feeder.
And, groups of white swan’s side by side on newly opened water.
Migratory birds appearing like small black specks in overhead lanes.
Last year’s fields play host to several pairs of red-faced cranes.
Spring’s arrival dots the landscape with these avian connections.
All around me are these glorious signs of order and affection.
Nature calls to our fine-feathered friends, time to select a mate.
And reminds me, it is time to shed some pounds and find a hot date.
Robert Adams, Sr. 2016