The birds here know spring is on the way also:

Many more mallard movements, flocks zipping around
with that "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date"
zippiness.

Goldeneyes cranking their heads over backwards.

Ravens cavorting in mid-air, taking chances with
the traffic, or sitting on posts and croaking incessantly.
Yesterday, one of them landed on a power line,
starting a short circuit which burnt out a transformer
and went down to the ground, eventually contacting
a natural gas leak near one of the Municipal Light
and Power plants, which blew up a large section
of the plant and shut off electricity to 3 areas of town.

Don't know how the raven came out of this, it
probably didn't, but the power plant sustained
an estimated $2 million in damage, and all sorts
of customers came out of the woodwork to pay
their overdue electric bills.

Ain't nature grand?

Chris Maack
Anchorage, AK
CMaack at compuserve.com