Date: April 21, 2019
Weather: Mid 60s, partly cloudy
Time: 11:05-11:55 am
Birds seen at spot: Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker (heard), American Crow. Black-Capped Chickadee, Dark-Eyed Junco (heard), Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (heard)
Birds seen elsewhere: Pine Warbler (heard), Winter Wren (heard), White-Throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-Winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, Brown Creeper (heard). American Robin, Blue Jay (heard)
Over the last several days, our area has undergone a dramatic change. For the first time in more than five months, we have gone more than a week without snow cover. This has led to plants finally starting to spring to life (no pun intended). The grounds around my spot are starting to become covered in ferns, and several tree species are beginning to bud.
It’s not just the trees that are undergoing change, but also the birds that are here. New migrants, such as the Eastern Phoebe I saw singing today, are arriving.
This bird is among the first migrants to arrive, and one of the more common nesting birds in the area. A unique way to bird in the spring is by listening to bird songs by ear. By doing this, I was able to identify a couple other migrants, including Pine Warbler, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, and Brown Creeper. Spring is truly progressing, and I look forward to see the how the thicker changes in the future.
