Monday, March 30, 2015

Man comes out of his winter quarters this month


March 30

To Island. 

It is a little warmer than of late, though still the shallows are skimmed over. The pickerel begin to dart from the shallowest parts not frozen. 

I hear many phe-be notes from the chickadees, as if they appreciated this slightly warmer and sunny morning. A fine day. 

As I look through the window, I actually see a warmer atmosphere with its fine shimmer against the russet hills and the dry leaves, though the warmth has not got into the house and it is no more bright nor less windy than yesterday, or many days past. I find that the difference to the eye is a slight haze, though it is but very little warmer than yesterday. 

Mach 30, 2016

To-day and yesterday have been bright, windy days. —west wind, cool, yet, compared with the previous colder ones, pleasantly, gratefully cool to me on my cheek. 

There is a very perceptible greenness on our south bank now, but I cannot detect the slightest greenness on the south side of Lee’s Hill as I sail by it. It is a perfectly dead russet. 

The river is but about a foot above the lowest summer level. 

I have seen a few F. hyemalis about the house in the morning the last few days. You see a few blackbirds, robins, bluebirds, tree sparrows, larks, etc., but the song sparrow chiefly is heard these days. 

He must have a great deal of life in him to draw upon, who can pick up a subsistence in November and March. Man comes out of his winter quarters this month as lean as a woodchuck. Not till late could the skunk find a place where the ground was thawed on the surface. Except for science, do not travel in such a climate as this in November and March. 

I tried if a fish would take the bait to-day; but in vain; I did not get a nibble. Where are they? I read that a great many bass were taken in the Merrimack last week. Do not the suckers move at the same time?

H, D. Thoreau, JournalMarch 30, 1855

Still the shallows are skimmed over. The pickerel begin to dart from the shallowest parts not frozen. See March 22, 1860 ("Pickerel begin to dart in shallows."); March 27, 1857 ("Pickerel begin to dart in shallows."); April 1, 1860 ("Pickerel dart, and probably have some time. "); April 7, 1860 ("What was lately motionless and lifeless ice is a transparent liquid in which the stately pickerel moves along.") See also A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, Pickerel

I hear many phe-be notes from the chickadees, as if they appreciated this slightly warmer and sunny morning. A fine day. See March 21, 1859 ("It is peculiarly interesting that this, which is one of our winter birds also, should have a note with which to welcome the spring"); See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring, the spring note of the chickadee.

A warmer atmosphere with its fine shimmer against the russet hills and the dry leaves. See March 5, 1855 ("This strong, warm wind, rustling the leaves on the hillsides, this blue haze, and the russet earth seen through it, remind me that a new season has come.") See A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, the Brown Season

To-day and yesterday have been bright, windy days. —west wind, cool, yet . . . gratefully cool to me on my cheek.  See March 29, 1855 ("This, which is a chilling wind to my fellow, is decidedly refreshing to me. ") See also  March 21, 1853 ("It is a genial and reassuring day; the mere warmth of the west wind amounts almost to balminess."); March 21, 1855 ("Clear, but a very cold westerly wind this morning.")  See also A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring, March is famous for its winds

There is a very perceptible greenness on our south bank now. See March 30, 1856("I can just see a little greening on our bare and dry south bank.");  See also   March 22, 1860 ("The phenomena of an average March are increasing warmth, melting the snow and ice and. .. some greenness appearing on south bank"); March 24, 1855 ("The earliest signs of spring in vegetation noticed thus far are the maple sap, the willow catkins, grass on south banks, and perhaps cowslip in sheltered places. ")  and A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring, greening grasses and sedges

I have seen a few F. hyemalis about the house in the morning the last few days. You see a few blackbirds, robins, bluebirds, tree sparrows, larks, etc., but the song sparrow chiefly is heard these days. See  March 30, 1851("Spring is already upon us. . . .  Th,e catkins of the alders have blossomed. The pads are springing at the bottom of the water. The pewee [phoebe] is heard, and the lark. ); March 30, 1854 ("Great flocks of tree sparrows and some F. hyemalis,") See alsoMarch 15, 1854 ("Hear on the alders by the river the lill lill lill lill of the first F. hyemalis, mingled with song sparrows and tree sparrows");  March 23, 1854 ("The birds in yard active now, — hyemalis, tree sparrow, and song sparrow. The hyemalis jingle easily distinguished. Hear all together on apple trees these days."); April 1, 1854 (" The tree sparrows, hyemalis, and song sparrows are particularly lively and musical in the yard this rainy and truly April day. The air rings with them."); April 2, 1852 (“The air is full of the notes of birds, - song sparrows, red-wings, robins (singing a strain), bluebirds, - and I hear also a lark, - as if all the earth had burst forth into song.”)  See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Dark-eyed Junco (Fringilla hyemalis)A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Robins in Spring; A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Tree Sparrow; A Book of Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Song Sparrow (Fringilla melodia); A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Bluebird in Early Spring. A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Red-wing in Spring

Man comes out of his winter quarters this month as lean as a woodchuck. See March 22, 1853 ("It affects one's philosophy, after so long living in winter quarters, to see the day dawn from some hill . . . such reviving spring days."); March 22, 1860 ("The phenomena of an average March . . . Skunks are active and frolic; woodchucks and ground squirrels come forth."). See also A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring; The Woodchuck Ventures Out

Not till late could the skunk find a place where the ground was thawed on the surface. See March 10, 1854 ("I have no doubt they have begun to probe already where the ground permits, — or as far as it does. But what have they eat all winter?"); March 28, 1855 (" I see where a skunk (apparently) has been probing the sod, though it is thawed but a few inches, and all around this spot frozen hard still. "); See also A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring; Skunks Active

I tried if a fish would take the bait to-day . . . Where are they? See March 20, 1858 ("The fish lurks by the mouth of its native brook, watching its opportunity to dart up the stream . . . Each rill is peopled with new life rushing up it")

March 30. See A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau,   March 30

Man comes out of his
winter quarters this month as
lean as a woodchuck.

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,
out-of-doors, in its own locality.”
~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2025

https://tinyurl.com/hdt-18550329

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