The spring note of the chickadee.

January 9

Snows again.  P. M. – To Deep Cut. 

January 9, 2018

The wind is southwest, and the snow is very moist, with large flakes.

Looking toward Trillium Wood, the nearer flakes appear to move quite swiftly, often making the impression of a continuous white line. They are also seen to move directly and nearly horizontally, but the more distant flakes appear to loiter in the air, as if uncertain how they will approach the earth, or even to cross the course of the former, and are always seen as simple and distinct flakes. I think that this difference is simply owing to the fact that the former pass quickly over the field of view, while the latter are much longer in it. 

This moist snow has affected the yellow sulphur parmelias and others. They have all got a green hue, and the fruit of the smallest lichen looks fresh and fair. 

And the wet willow bark is a brighter yellow. 

Some chickadees come flitting close to me, and one utters its spring note, phe-be, for which I feel under obligations to him.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, January 9, 1858

The snow is very moist, with large flakes . . . the more distant flakes appear to loiter in the air, as if uncertain how they will approach the earth, or even to cross the course of the former.  See December 15. 1855 ("Some flakes come down from one side and some from another, crossing each other like woof and warp apparently, as they are falling in different eddies and currents of air."); December 14, 1859  ("Large flakes falling gently in the quiet air, like so many white feathers descending in different directions . . . A myriad falling flakes weaving a coarse garment by which the eye is amused.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Snow-storms might be classified.

This moist snow has affected the yellow sulphur parmelias. See January 26, 1852 ("The lichens look rather bright to-day . . .When they are bright and expanded, is it not a sign of a thaw or of rain? );  February 6, 1852 ("Near the C. Miles house there are some remarkably yellow lichens (parmelias?) on the rails, – ever as if the sun were about to shine forth clearly");  February 7, 1859 ("When I see the sulphur lichens on the rails brightening with the moisture I feel like studying them again as a relisher or tonic . . . They are a sort of winter greens which we gather and assimilate with our eyes"); March 6, 1852 ("Found three or four parmelias caperata in fruit on a white oak on the high river-bank between Tarbell's and Harrington’s") ; March 18, 1852 ("There is more rain than snow now falling, and the lichens, especially the Parmelia conspersa, appear to be full of fresh fruit, though they are nearly buried in snow.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Lichens and the lichenst

And the wet willow bark is a brighter yellow. See December 5, 1858 (" The yellowish bark of the willows gleams warmly through the ice"); January 3, 1856 ("Now, when all the fields and meadows are covered deep with snow, the warm-colored shoots of osiers, red and yellow, rising above it, remind me of flames.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, the Osier in Winter and early Spring

Some chickadees come flitting close to me, and one utters its spring note, phe-be. See  

The chickadee

Hops near to me.

November 8, 1857

The chickadee hops

nearer and nearer as the

winter advances.

December 1, 1853

Chickadees flit close

and naively peck at the

nearest twig to you,

December 3, 1856

January 7, 1851 ("January thaw. . . . and the chickadees are oftener heard."); January 7, 1855 ("Here comes a little flock of titmice, plainly to keep me company,. . . restlessly hopping along the alders, with a sharp, clear, lisping note."); January 18, 1860 ("Several chickadees, uttering their faint notes, come flitting near to me as usual."); February 9, 1856 ("I hear a phoebe note from a chickadee"); March 1, 1854 (" I hear the phoebe or spring note of the chickadee"); March 1, 1856 ("I hear several times the fine-drawn phe-be note of the chickadee, which I heard only once during the winter. Singular that I should hear this on the first spring day.")  See also A Book of the Seasons,   by Henry Thoreau, the Chickadee in Winter; A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau,  Signs of the Spring, the spring note of the chickadee

January 9. See A Book of the Seasons,   by Henry Thoreau January 9

Some chickadees come 

flitting close to me and one 

utters its spring note. 

A Book of the Seasons,   by Henry Thoreau, The spring note of the chickadee

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 © 2009-2024

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