No, not a robin. That’s not the first sign of spring here at the farm. For me, the first sign is the returning geese.

Earlier this week I saw two geese on our pond. They were there again this morning and I can hear other geese honking from our neighbor’s pond. It was the first I’d seen or heard of them since sometime late last fall. I’m not actually sure where they returned from – the north, or the south, but every year we have 2-10 geese who return and make our pond (and our neighbor’s) home. Inevitably, they appear in the late winter time frame, when the weather is still raw, and there is definitely the chance of more snow and freezing weather.

Right now, there are two geese on the pond. In addition to swimming and floating around, they are in the nearby field eating grass or grain. Somewhere around here, they have a private home that is out of sight. And there, they will have goslings before long. In the next couple of months (probably April), I will see mom, followed by 4-6 goslings, followed by dad, walking into the pond.

One year, three pair of geese had goslings. I think I counted 22 total geese hanging out on our pond.

It’s very cute. But, it also shows how nature works. One day you will see the proud parents with 6 goslings. The next day, maybe 5. A few days later, 3 or 4. It’s a tough world, the pond at Rohan Farm. There are foxes and coyotes in the neighborhood, along with a couple of mean snapping turtles in the pond. The geese do their best to protect the goslings, but inevitably a few are lost, and happily, several survive.

Next winter, when February is dragging on, I know that at least two of them will show back up and help me realize that spring is not that far away.

*****

Addendum:

⁃ A version of this blog first appeared as a Facebook post in February, 2009. I recently came across the post, and found it to be as relevant today, as it was when first published.