Ode to Spring

There’s a warm sky above and the trees have new feathers. That’s when we return.

I dream about the fresh grass and sweet seeds all year. Yes, the flight back north is long, but it brings me what I love. I’ve done it twice before and gets easier each migration. This time I think mom was in my flock, but sometimes it’s hard to tell us apart. At least I kept eyes on little brother. He flew off my wing, wobbling and out of breath. Poor thing struggled to fly for even an hour. Makes sense. He hatched last season.

Once we arrived in the forest with people boxes where I was hatched, brother and I dig in to the dirt. The worms are plump and delicious, but once the sky gets hot, the worms dry up. Better to eat berries when the sky is hot and you better gobble them up quick. There is no reward for the weary. But for now, our meal is perfect. I even pecked out a few small ants from the grass. What a treat! During the cold sky, I only ate seed. Hard seed.

Other new hatches from last season flutter over next to brother. His worms get stolen. He’s still learning. Too slow to eat. Eyeing the flock around us, I hop over to his wing. “Like this,” I say, plucking a worm and swallowing it whole in one sharp move. “Flap and sing if others try to steal your worm.” But his voice is young and he doesn’t like to sing. Says he sounds like a hatchling. Well, he is, but that will change soon. We eat our fill for the night and return to the new feather trees.

The forest below moves. Fuzzies are running up the trees and big worms slide through the dirt . Many other birds come back, too. All colors. The people smile when we arrive more and more each day. The best days are almost here–when water comes from the sky and the worms come out by themselves. Easy dinner those days. And the more plants that wake, the sooner we can build our nests. Best time of year. Yes, I love when the sky is warm and the trees have new feathers.