Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine

As it is usual, the winter brought the hardest frosts towards its end. Yesterday morning a goldfinch came to the feeder, and it was so disheveled and thin as if it were composed only of a half-handful of feathers and two pearl eyes. Even if many people install feeders in the neighborhood, but the prolonged cold consumes up all the reserve energies. They must keep up a little bit more: however strongly the winter stuggles, it will not last long. I have broken the remaining nuts, it is so popular that it attracts here even the nutpeckers.
While Hungarian folk observations link the end of the winter mainly to Matthias’ day, 24 February, at the Croatians it is a little earlier. They say that it is today, on Valentine’s day that the birds celebrate their wedding. About the wild pigeons (Balkan turtle-doves) appearing around Valentine’s day they also believe to indicate the end of the winter.
And I think they are right, because besides the chirrup of the titmice I have also heard for some days the turtle-doves. With closed eyes (and, for the while being, under double blankets) it is already quite a spring feeling.


flowers from the virágom virágom blog