They flip each other



the bird



as a sweet nod to their mutual affection.
Naturally. She swears

she saw a black and yellow butterfly
wing on the dirty

snow-encrusted trail weeks before
the chain of lakes ice out.

The nest fell after 20 years.
The eaglet did not



survive.



Hopping from one live
cam to the next,

she watches two peregrines
fuss over their first egg.

Does she dare
hope? Will he see

one fly upside down again?
When will the ruby-throated

hummingbirds awaken
from their torpor and



return




to mesmerize them
with their backwards

in-flight dance?
Just a 3-second fling

we all know so well.
And ducks contemplate

a swim in a freshly melted city
park puddle before seeking seasonal

monogamy. Back
in the blind, they



coo



obscenities at one another
as they share

binoculars on the warmest day
in five months.