The tree swallows have returned

Just in time.  I finished cleaning out the last two nest boxes on Sunday.  One of the earlier cleaned out nest boxes is already housing a bluebird pair.  I thought about checking to see if they had eggs laid yet, but thought better and just let them be.  I need to be vigilant about watching for house sparrow invasion.  Both boxes that I cleaned out yesterday had one unhatched tree swallow egg in each box.  I was glad to get them cleaned out especially after today.  While walking back to the fields to do some work, there was a tree swallow pair, one on a newly cleaned out box and one on a nearby fence post.  I had not seen any sign of these strikingly gorgeous birds until today.  I love watching them soar above the creek in search of food.  In the sunlight, the blue-green sheen of their feathers is spectacular.  This is one of our favorite farm birds and it is good to see them back.

Meanwhile, Mike and I did do a little field work this morning.  I had a couple hours free so the two of us went back to start lifting up the old plastic mulch in the vegetable field.  Because of the horrendously wet year last year, there are sections of the field that have not been touched for 2 years.  The plastic in this area is really starting to deteriorate.  We worked on pulling up the plastic from 2 of the old rows before switching over to the easier project of lifting plastic off of a row that was laid out last year.  Then my couple hours was up and it was time for lunch.  Getting all the plastic lifted is going to be a big project this spring.  Here's hoping the weather cooperates.  I took this picture as I was walking behind Mike driving the tractor and plastic lifting machine back to the field.  You can see how the leaves on the trees in the woods are just barely starting to come out.

Another first this past week (just for the record): first lawn mowing.  Yay!  OK, not yay!  Actually this is one job that I don't really mind doing as long as I have time.  And I did not mow the entire lawn, just the highest parts. 

We are also starting to see the wild turkeys hanging out on our farm again.  Most years, they spend the whole winter in a winter flock and live across the road from our farm.  It is nice to see them back on our side of the road.

Three nights ago I heard a woodcock in the pasture again.  During the warm spell we had in March, I heard them all over the place.  Then when the weather turned colder, I quit hearing them at all.  I have a hard time believing they are all done with their courtship this year so I was happy to hear one this past week.  Seems like most years I hear them well into May so I am guessing the cool down is to blame for not hearing them recently.

Mike planted the first seeds of the season last week: chard, radish, beets and spinach.  Most of the field is not ready for planting, but there was a small section that got disked up when Mike spread the fertilizer and lime on the asparagus.  I am so looking forward to the asparagus being ready, but it will be some time yet.

I've been checking the blueberries all week.  The blossoms are very close to coming out and so I have been nervous about all the morning freezes we have been having.  So far so good.  It would be horrible to lose the blueberry crop this year.  We have wild growing cherry trees and all their blossoms were killed by the frost.  It makes me worried about what happened to all the local cherry growers.  We have a few peach trees that are small and in their second year after planting.  Their blossoms suffered some damage from the frost, but it did not seem as severe as the loss of the cherry blossoms.

That is about all for this check in.  Nothing earth shattering and not a lot happening.  A bigger cool down is expected this week with even some wet snow showers possible.  I am ready for our next warm spell.  That one back in March was REALLY nice.