Apríl, Apríl, Does What It Will

tanjabrittonwriter 82 Comments

The title is a direct (if slightly old-fashioned) translation of a German saying, “April, April, macht was er will” (the emphasis being on the second syllable of Apríl, which is why I spelled it with an accent mark). The month with the reputation of being fickle, of doing what it wants with regard to the weather, has already lived up to its reputation. Sandwiched between two spring-like stretches, Colorado Springs awoke to 4 to 5 inches of fresh snow on April 3. As we tend to teeter on the verge of, if not the actual side of drought, any form of moisture is usually welcome (save during the rare but repetitive bouts of flooding the region experiences periodically).

Der Titel ist die englische Übersetzung des deutschen Sprichworts „April, April, macht was er will“. Der Monat ist seinem wechselhaften Ruf bereits gerecht geworden. Eingerahmt von zwei frühlingshaften Perioden erwachte Colorado Springs am 3. April mit etwa 11 Zentimeter Neuschnee. Da wir uns fast immer nahe, wenn nicht sogar jenseits der Dürregrenze bewegen, ist jegliche Art von Feuchtigkeit willkommen (es sei denn, die seltenen aber periodisch auftretenden Überschwemmungen betreffen die Region).

During this brief, wintry interlude, I set out to explore two of my regular birding destinations, both of which are located within walking distance from home. Few people were milling about on this cool and overcast morning, making it easy to keep a safe distance. The cover of snow and clouds swallowed most sounds and created a cocoon-like sense of calm and peace. To my utter delight, my feathered friends were out in full force. I hope you will enjoy the following impressions as much as I did.

Während dieses kurzen, winterlichen Intermezzos besuchte ich zwei Orte, wo ich regelmäßig zur Vogelschau unterwegs bin. Beide sind von zu Hause aus zu Fuß erreichbar. Da an diesem kühlen und bewölkten Tag wenige Menschen unterwegs waren, war es einfach, eine sichere Distanz einzuhalten. Die Schnee- und Wolkendecke dämmten die meisten Geräusche ein und vermittelten ein Gefühl der Ruhe und Geborgenheit. Zu meinem Entzücken waren meine gefiederten Freunde sehr betriebsam. Ich hoffe, die folgenden Eindrücke werden Dir ähnlich gut gefallen wie mir.

To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it.

Zum Vergrößern, das Bild bitte anklicken. Um den Titel zu lesen, mit der Maus darüber schweben.

Mountains shrouded in clouds/Verschleierte Berge
Snow bonnet/Schneehäubchen
Snowflower/Schneeblume
Great Blue Heron/Kanadareiher
Snow creations/Schneekreationen
Easter Bunny/Osterhase
Evanescent beauty/Vergängliche Schönheit
Canada Goose on nest/Kanadagans auf einem Nest
American Robin/Wanderdrossel
Cedar Waxwing/Zedernseidenschwanz

82 thoughts on “Apríl, Apríl, Does What It Will”

    • I’m glad to provide you a short escape, Mr. P. To be honest, I escape a lot–most of the time, to be exact. I hardly listen to or watch the news, because feeling bad and anxious all the time helps noone. Each of us deals with the current situation in his or her way, but this works best for me.
      Kind regards,
      Tanja

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    • Dankeschön, lieber Jürgen. Wir haben solche Schneefälle einige Male erleben können, wenn auch nicht so oft, wie es eigentlich normal wäre. Aber wir freuen uns über jeglichen Schnee. Am Ostersonntag soll noch mal ein Schub kommen. 🙂
      Sei herzlich gegrüßt,
      Tanja

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  7. I think you sent that storm our way. 😉 Tomorrow, we are supposed to get 3 to 6 inches of snow, and Clif will mostly have to take out Little Green to clean the driveways. April is indeed fickle. Lovely pictures! That snow bunny sure made me smile.

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  8. In times of climate change, deadly virus and economic collapse around the globe, the month of April suddenly feels like something safe and familiar that guarantees security with its weather-related “mood swings”. April acts like it always does, …come rain or come shine, come snow and come May. For a short while we can forget all about the worldly misery and pretend that things are back to normal again.
    Lovely photos of the birds looking so relaxed, no worries about snow, rain or sun.
    Best wishes for the Easter holiday,
    Meggis

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    • Yes. Meggie, it’s good to be reminded that some things, like the fickleness of April, haven’t changed. I hope that, despite of everything, you have been able to enjoy some aspects of it.
      Take care,
      Tanja

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  9. We awoke to another 3″ of snow this morning, on top of the 8″ from Monday morning at our 5,500′ Southern California Coastal mountain elevation. Yes, we need the moisture, so we can be happy with that — and the birds at our feeders are pecking and scratching, racoon prints waddle a path in the snow :)) Take care! Dawn

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  12. Oh mein Gott, die Feuchtigkeit wünsche ich euch, aber jetzt 11cm Neuschnee? Brrr. Und wir schwitzen hier gerade. Dafür hast du wunderschöne Bilder gemacht. Die Seidenschwänze gucken ja putzig in alle Richtungen 🙂 Der Reiher ist auch toll mit seiner Zeichnung! LG
    Almuth

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    • Dankeschön, liebe Almuth. Das Gute am Schnee zu dieser Jahreszeit ist, daß er nicht lange liegen bleibt, und es auch gar nicht so kalt ist. Bis Mitte Mai haben wir wahrscheinlich noch öfter solch kurze Schneetage, das gehört hier einfach zum Frühling.
      Dir noch einen schönen (und hoffentlich nicht zu heißen) April.
      Herzliche Grüße,
      Tanja

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  15. Tanja – Totally agree with the quote. April is a very fickle month when it comes to weather. Great photos! The snow bunnies are particularly fun! My dad loves Cedar Waxwings and I am so excited to show him your picture. He will be delighted. There was a blue jay in the yard this afternoon. He was delighted with something he found under the raspberry stalks. I am much more aware of birds thanks to your lovely blog. Thank you my friend. -Jill

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    • I appreciate your kind words, Jill. I love all birds, but Cedar Waxwings in their velvety apparel are always a special treat.
      I wish you a happy April. I’m sure Montana will look white several times before it’s all over.
      Hugs,
      Tanja

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  17. This is funny, because in Vienna we had exactly the same situation, albeit on 31 March. No snow all winter (well, a few flurries here and there), and then all of a sudden a drop in temperatures and snow covering the blossoms that had already come out. But fortunately it did not last, and now of course we are back to very warm spring temperatures and basically, in eastern Austria, drought conditions.

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  18. What a beautiful set of pics! The waxwings look like something from a modern art gallery. So nice to see my favorite bird friends in their Western settings. ….Your snow bunny rocks, btw!😊🐰🐰

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  20. Schöne Motive Tanja ! Und hier in Hamburg macht der April nichts..er tut auf Frühling : 10 Tage nur Sonne ununterbrochen..leider dürfen wir ja nicht ans Meer reisen, bleibt nur der Balkon…Bleib gesund, lieber Gruss von Jürgen

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  23. Frohe Ostern Tanja, bei uns waren es heute 25 Grad und die Natur ist wunderschön mit vielen Blumen und sprießenden Bäumen. Deine Tierfotos im Schnee sind toll, aber auch die lustigen Schneemänner. Pass auf dich auf und bleib gesund
    LG Andrea

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    • Vielen Dank, liebe Andrea.
      Es freut mich, daß Du einen schönen Ostersonntag hattest. Nach dem Schneefall am 3. April war es eine Woche lang warm und sonnig, doch heute ist es sehr kühl und windig, mit vereinzelten Schneeflocken, die durch die Luft fliegen. April, April halt. 😊
      Auch Dir wünsche ich weiterhin gute Gesundheit.
      Herzliche Grüße,
      Tanja

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  25. Ahhhh… the weekend, and time to get caught up! I smiled at so many of your images here: particularly the waxwings. They show up here from time to time, but I’ve only seen them in my neighborhood twice. One year, they stayed for three days while they stripped every palm tree in sight of its fruit; then, they were gone.

    We’re all pretty happy to have ‘normal’ weather here: wild swings from really hot to flat cold. But that’s spring in Texas, with the warm and cold fronts battling it out. No snow, though! Oh, I wouldn’t mind a little snow at all — but I think we’ll have to wait until next winter for that.

    My treat today? An indigo bunting, under my bird feeders. The spring migration has started, and a little bit of it came to visit me — what a thrill!

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    • Cedar Waxwings are always a treat. Their velvety plumage is so easy on the eyes. I wouldn’t mind an Indigo Bunting, but might have to wait a couple of weeks for them to make it to Colorado. That’s one advantage of living in Texas-spring migration there starts earlier. 🙂

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    • As always, I appreciate your comment, dear Otto. While most of the snow is, indeed gone, it just so happens that a front is moving through the state that will bring some more snow to some areas–though not ours. We will take moisture in any shape or form!
      I hope you are well.
      Tanja

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