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The Gifts of February

Writer's picture: ChantalChantal

Updated: Feb 15, 2023

February is the secret gift that all of nature knows, not simply a means to get to March as us humans like to believe.


It is a time when the tiny songbirds scout out secure nesting sites to lay their precious eggs.

This cold, grey month, carrying the hope of a mate, in the songs sung from the highest of perches.


The echoes of distant drumming telling us that even those not gifted in voice, will find their own language. The morning’s cold air carrying his crisp message from tree to tree.


They carry precious loads above our heads: the corvids, large branches, the wrens, tiny feathers. Each item, carefully placed, a craft written in their cells and practiced in the trees.

Dancing swarms of winter gnats, offer up a passing snack on the wing.


The prolonged dampness of winter continues to cocoon insect grubs for a little while longer, enveloping them safely in the protection of the rotting wood and fallen autumn leaves.


Yet, the apricity of the days signal to reptiles, amphibians and some eager caterpillars, to awaken from their slumber. Their inactivity soon long forgotten as they busily prepare for the year ahead.


Brimstones emerge out into humid woodlands while frogs and toads search for a muddy pond for their spawn to reside.


February’s calm holds the glimmer of what’s to come.


The purity of the white snowdrops and vibrant yellow of the lesser celandine rise from the deep rich soil, carpeting our paths with optimism. As the bees begin to leave their burrows, they greedily drink the delicious, sweet nectar.


A reminder that even in the darkest of times, there are treasures awaiting us.


And while we shiver, we are transfixed by the outdoor opera: the skylark stealing the show. Drawing our attention skyward as they perform the unthinkable, ascending; up, up, up, up, high into the sky, beckoning us toward spring.


- Chantal


 

Photo from unsplash


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