Spring!

I love spring! Watching the birds begin their territorial displays and courtship is so fun. I love to walk outside early in the morning and hear the chorus of cardinals, Carolina Wrens, White-eyed Vireos, bluebirds and robins ushering in the new day. Watching the birds at my feeders is fun too. Male cardinals will crack a safflower seed and feed the female. When another male cardinal comes to the feeders, a chase ensues to get the intruder out of the territory. It won't be long before the hummingbirds come to the feeders. Buntings and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks may come to the feeders. I am still hopeful the Purple Martins will return to the houses here. They seem to be late coming in across the board this year. Add to all that the anticipation of the upcoming migration of many songbirds heading from South America and Central America to their breeding grounds as far north as Canada. I always look forward to the trill of Northern Parulas singing to announce his territory and attract a mate. I look forward to finding Hooded Warblers skulking in the tangles of tri-foliate orange trees. I always feel my spring has been complete if I can see the trio of Chestnut-sided Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler. Last year I missed the Bay-breasted Warbler. I look forward to the breath-taking red on Scarlet Tanagers as they fly through the treetops in search of insects. And I'm always hopeful to see a male Painted Bunting. Spring is such a fun time of the year for birds!

The American Goldfinches are slowing down quite a bit at the feeders. I went from having 50+ last week to having fewer than 20 this week. I am always sad to see them go. They provide a lot of entertainment over the winter months. I did have a happy feeder story today. I have been spreading Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter on a tallow tree in the backyard. Bark Butter is a mixture of suet, peanuts and corn made by the CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited to attract Brown Creepers in his yard. I have seen woodpeckers in that tallow tree often and hoped they would eventually find the Bark Butter. This morning I watched a female Red-bellied Woodpecker go to the Bark Butter and eat from it. That is very exciting to me because I have never had any luck with attracting woodpeckers to my feeders. Other birds I have seen eating the Bark Butter are Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird and Carolina Wren. I'm looking forward to seeing what else finds it!

I checked the Eastern Bluebird box in my aunt's yard on Saturday and found a partially completed nest. This is the earliest I have seen a nesting attempt. There isn't any activity in the other boxes I have up yet, but some younger birds sometimes take a little longer to get going in the spring. I'm still hopeful it will happen.

Next week I will begin my weekly trips down into the woods to see the migrants that are coming through. I would go today, but it's raining. March 9 is the earliest date I have seen any of the migrant songbirds coming through. Normally I will see them beginning in the third week of March. I will post what I am see regularly.