JOYFUL GRATITUDE #209
February has done its usual trick of flying by at incredible speed. It’s hard to believe that not so long ago there was all this snow lying on the ground and people skating on the canals. It’s even more mind-blowing that one short week later we were experiencing warm spring temperatures of 18 degrees and indulging in the first ice-creams of the season. As I take my daily walks, I’m grateful to witness nature preparing for spring to burst forth. The days are getting slightly longer and we get to enjoy the blissful rays of sunlight just a little bit longer. Crocusses add a gorgeous touch of purple and yellow to the grass. Small bright green leaves are appearing on branches.
A colony of starlings has chosen to settle in the conifers outside my window. Most evenings they come, swooping down in groups and filling the branches. I love listening to them chatter all at once deep into the night, oblivious of their pigeon neighbours who were used to having the trees to themselves. When a sound startles them the starlings fly off all at once, their wings making this magical whooshing noise as they fill the sky with a ballet of their dark silhouettes.
Cultivating joy 
Spring is certainly on its way, and I can’t wait to finally see those first spring blooms, they are a joy to capture on film 🙂 Have a lovely day and greetings on the first day of March 🙂 Aiva
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Thanks for your message! Enjoy the spring starting around you with all its blooms and beauty!! Take care Aiva ❤
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From ice skating to ice cream – that is a little crazy! I enjoy the photos of the trees and your description of the starlings. 🙂
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Hi, yes these weather changes are insane. Now it’s stabilised and we are back to weather that’s normal for the season. The starlings were amazing, but it seems my neighbours are not so keen on them, and they’ve been scaring them away when the birds try to settle on the trees 😦 What a pity. But I’m glad I enjoyed it while I could:-) Wishing you a lovely weekend!!
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They can be noisy! I guess it depends on how open-minded you are. In the US they’re thought of as nuisance birds. They were introduced a long time ago and quickly expanded their range to cover the whole country. Some native birds suffered because of that. I held a negative view of them when I lived in NYC but when I looked closely and listened, I had to admire their beauty.
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