Our winter guest is on his way again

I have finally got my computer back now that our winter guest has left. Harry took off this morning after spending two months in Nolalu.
Things were difficult at first because we didn't speak Harry's tongue. But then we stumbled on the universal language -- YouTube. Harry loved to listen to music on YouTube all day long. Harry was a teenager.
It was pure luck that we even met Harry. He was born in the Northwest Territories and was on his way to visit relatives in Texas for the winter when he decided to take a "little side trip" and ended up stranded 1,500 miles northeast of his destination. It was a lapse in judgment but who among us didn't make a few mistakes when we were teenagers?
He was ill-prepared to spend the winter in the Boreal Forest. He wasn't dressed for the cold, for one thing. One day in mid-January I saw him fall over in the snow and quit moving. It was -25 C and that didn't count the wind chill. Of course I ran out and picked him up and brought him inside. After a couple of hours he regained consciousness so we made a little place for him and he stayed. He liked the food, especially the meat.
"Harry, you need to eat something besides meat," I would say. "Here, try some of these whole grains."
He would turn his back and look out the window while listening to his favourite YouTube channel. Harry was a teenager.
All in all, he was quiet and well-behaved and we got along with him just fine. But during the past week I could tell he wanted to be on his way. His appetite seemed off and he stared out the window wistfully. Fortunately the weather has warmed up. The temperature reached the melting point today for the first time in months and the sunshine felt just like spring had arrived. So we wished him well and watched him take off, free as a bird which, of course, is what he was, a Harris's Sparrow.
I guess I'll give the remainder of the mealworms we had bought for him to the chickadees. I might continue playing his music -- 10 hours of bird calls on YouTube. It really is spring-like.

Harry gets his bearings on the driveway after spending two months in a cage inside. An immature Harris's Sparrow, he is beginning to develop black throat feathers that are the hallmark of his species.

Here comes the sun!!!

Hope to finish woodshed this weekend. Large bump at right is propane tank buried in 3 feet of snow.

And we say, "It's all right!"
After a cold and snowy winter, the forecast from here on out is for average-to-above average temperatures.
There is a lot of snow to melt so depending on how fast that happens we could be in for some flooding. I have heard that the Red River in North Dakota and Manitoba is predicted to flood.
The best scenario is when the melting occurs gradually which is usually what happens. I would expect most Northwestern Ontario lakes will be higher than normal after ice-out and that's a good thing. Northern pike love to spawn in lowland areas around lakes that are only underwater for a month or so. These spots are clear of silt and allow the eggs to get plenty of oxygen.
The melting snow will also raise the water table in the ground and that might reduce the spring and early summer forest fire danger.
Yeppurs, spring is coming!

Stellar year for birds at the feeders

The yellow, black and white Evening Grosbeaks join the more common Pine Grosbeaks and Bluejays

Chickadee takes shelter from the wind among the lilacs beside the house

This is the best winter we have ever seen for numbers and variety of birds at our birdfeeders.
The harsh temperatures and three feet of snow might have something to do with that; however by all reports we are still more fortunate than others.
One of the biggest surprises has been large numbers of Evening Grosbeaks. These gaudy, parrot-like finches are here every day whereas in the past they might only appear a couple of times all winter,
Pine Grosbeaks are just as numerous. Bluejays are the other large birds at the sunflower platform feeder.
Common Redpolls have the top numbers for the small birds. They are followed by Chickadees, Goldfinches, Juncos and Redbreasted Nuthatches.
There are probably four pairs each of Hairy Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers.
Every so often a couple of Crows also show up.
Alhough they don't come to the feeders, other birds we see are Pileated Woodpeckers, Ravens, Bald Eagles and Ruffed Grouse.
I have not seen any hawks or owls.