Snow is gone, birds are back. Flocks of robins all over the lawn. Flickers in the tree outside my office window.  Birds lined up to eat from a suet feeder David put up this winter – downy woodpeckers, nut hatches, gold finches. On the ground juncoes cleaned up any seeds that dropped.

Bird song fills the air during my morning walks. Seeing the birds, hearing their clear songs lifts my spirits.  Spring is here!  Or so I thought.

I consider any day a good day when I learn something new. Today, I got my learning in early when I read that turkey vultures are the true sign of spring. Turns out they don’t like their food frozen, so they fly south for the winter and return to protect their territory when they’re certain their favorite carrion will be available thawed.

Thinking about vultures reminded me of a rhyme we chanted as children whenever confronted by an image or idea that was ewwww, gross!  It began:

Great, green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts, Mutilated monkey meat …

And ended:

And me without a spoon!

Yesterday my husband and I were commenting that it could still snow, could still freeze. There could still be a good shot of winter left in the system. We’d taken comfort in the snow melting and the return of so many birds to our yard.  But now I’ll be searching the skies for turkey vultures. The true sign of spring. Hoping they find a tasty, warm lunch of whatever suits them. And I hope they find it before I do. Ewwww, gross!