The weather has been exceptional this spring and the grass has grown so tall that it is taking on a life of it’s own. More correctly, all of the things that live in the grass are now rummaging about and getting back into the swing of life. As I made pass after pass down the orchard rows with the mower, I saw a few of my favorites.

The first orchard resident to present itself was a HUGE Chinese ring neck pheasant. He is the most glorious pheasant that I have seen in California and is a regular visitor at Sylverleaf. We see him very frequently and hear him most every day. I think that he likes to torture our dog with his calls.

Next, I scared up a jackrabbit. Well, truth be told, it scared me. It jumped up directly in front of the tractor, startling me and distracting me for about a half-second. In that time, I ended up too close to one of the main branches of an olive tree. That brief encounter with the olive tree forced me to pull the tractor into the shop for some, eh, minor repairs to the tractor’s fender…

Feeling good about the repairs, I continued mowing in a rather unkempt area of the orchard. This area is thick with blackberries that are 8 feet high and present a formidable challenge. While crashing through the berry patch, I caught a glimpse of one of the several barn owls that live in and around the orchard. Absolutely beautiful. It’s too bad that we can’t see these gorgeous birds more often in daylight.

Lastly, and not to diminish their significance, I was treated to a near constant show from wild turkeys. At this time of year, the turkeys gather all around this area as the toms call out to the hens. The toms cared very little that I was nearby and continued to show their impressive tail feathers and mating displays. From my best estimates, I saw two toms and 8 hens. Hopefully, within the next couple of months, we’ll begin to see all of the babies.

It really is incredible to see all of these wonderful creatures living so well in our orchards.