From The Hill

It won’t be long before the trees leaf out and the long view from The Hill effectively disappears. I enjoy the view, but I also enjoy having the view blocked. The change is like drawing the curtains. It gives me the feeling of being in a closed, intimate setting. At this time of year, I give the distant landscapes a last check before they get put away for the summer. This view is looking into the direction of the prevailing wind. Somewhere out there is the source of the trash I seem to be constantly picking up.

Looking toward the point of the ridge, I can see young cedars growing in the tall grass. Every four or five years I take my loppers and wander back and forth snipping off the little cedars. When the cedars become visible in the spring, I make a note on the calendar to schedule cedar maintenance for the coming winter. Cedar maintenance is the term I use to describe control of new cedar sprouts in an area that I have previously cleared.

The view of the woods will change dramatically in the next couple of weeks. I haven’t been out to see how many trees went down during the storm winds early Wednesday morning. Radar estimates showed wind speeds during the storm to be between 60 and 80 miles per hour. I’m sure some more trees came down and they probably came down over one of the trails.

This is the field that was mowed in December of 2009. There are probably a few trees sprouting out there somewhere, but it’ll be a couple of years before they become noticeable. I love the look of a field full of tall grass unbroken by trees. The tree swallows have pretty much taken over the field this year. Only one nest box houses bluebirds. The rest contain Tree Swallows. For every swallow pair in a box, there seem to be two pairs waiting for the chance to claim the box for themselves. It’s constant chattering and chasing as the occupants try to maintain their chosen nest site.

The Indiangrass has attracted two territorial Henslow’s Sparrows. They’ve been calling day and night for over a week. So far, this is the best shot I’ve been able to get of one of the sparrows. Don’t bother straining your eyes. The birds have been staying down in the grass and I have yet to see one this spring. It’s fortunate that they have such a distinctive call. Otherwise I wouldn’t even know they were there.