Hoping to soon see our ospreys returning. We’ve missed their swooping down to the river and back up with fish, caring for their chicks, and giving walkers passing by a hard time. Wherever they’ve wintered, in Florida, the Caribbean, or Central and South America), they, too, have the usual house repairs to take care of. Now the alewives can’t be far behind.

This Sunday, April 13, come by the Town Hall at 2 p.m. for a fun intro to “The Ins and Outs of Composting.” Perfectly timed, since many of us are beginning to clean up around our yards and gardens, raking leaves and sand, piling twigs and branches. The Westport Community Association sponsors this talk by Kyle DiPietro, who along with his wife, Angie Trombley, runs the Squire Tarbox Farm. Kyle will explain a bit about the science behind composting, and how to start and manage a compost pile at your house. He’ll also talk about organic raised bed gardening, which is a great way to have a garden in this rocky place! We’ll become fans of bacteria, fungi and other critters, and maybe make a dent in what ends up in the landfill. There’s a lot of energy and gardening ideas saved up over the winter, so please bring your experiences and ideas to share this Sunday. On a similar theme (of keeping the cycle moving) the Community Association welcomes donations of non-perishable foods and household kitchen and bathroom items for the Cottage Pantry.

Getting back to birds — do you like to follow their spring migration? There are two programs coming up: one this Friday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at the Skidompha Library in Damariscotta, and then next Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m., at the Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson. Local naturalist Jody Telfair-Richards is the speaker at both locations, bringing her knowledge about recent challenges to migration and bird habitats, and suggestions for native plantings that can help sustain their populations. Preregistration is required at HVNC since the space is limited, so give them call 207-200-8840 or email info@hvnc.org.

Wonderful to see a new and very cute Westporter in last week’s paper: congrats to Colleen McDonnall and Kirby Nichols on the birth of their baby boy, and to grandparents Todd and Elaine Nichols, and great-grandmas Phoebe Cromwell and Sara Nichols.

The Easter Bunny has hopped back to Ken and Cheryl’s — is it too optimistic to be looking for daffodils?