Morning Cacophony

The past few mornings have been incredibly noisy!  Minnesota's wildlife critters have  been anxious to 'get on with spring', since they came back in early April and there has been snow on the ground ever since.  But now the snow is gone, the ponds and lakes are starting to ice out and the birds have some water!  Since everything is behind schedule, the birds are going strong now.   Starting around 5 a.m. the trumpeter swans start their noisy chatter (imagine someone playing staccato notes on a trumpet), the Canadian geese honk away, the crows - some of the noisiest birds around  - do their thing, the Kildeer scream while flying around, the song sparrows are singing, the robins are chirping their "cheer-up, cheerily" song, the pond ducks are quacking, the farm cats are meowing at each other (and telling me to hurry up and get out there with food), the woodpeckers are banging away at metal machinery in the pasture calling for mates and others are banging away at trees, and today the loons also arrived and have started their calling.   Imagine all this TOGETHER from 5 a.m. to about 9 or 10 a.m. and you get a good idea of the lively noise up here in the north country!   But I'm not complaining!!  How wonderful it is to have all our birds back.  Spring has truly arrived!
     The snow is gone, our ponds will probably ice out today with the predicted rain, and the Nanking cherry trees are about to bloom out.   The grass is getting green (well, grass is a rather loose term to use for the green stuff growing in the yard), and the trees are budding out.   The new bees are coming back to the hive loaded with pollen from the willows and popples. 
     Oh - in addition to the sounds of the wild birds, add the constant crowing of our roosters in the morning.    What a symphony!!