I have been impatiently waiting,
but this morning, a lovely surprise happened - the first Hummingbird arrived, along with some more snow. The forecast for the rest of the week looks good, so I hope I can help this little trooper to make it.
Happy April Fool’s Day ;)
I cannot believe
that April is almost here now. Temperatures are looking very nice for the coming days, as well as the migration monitors online (this is a fantastic and fascinating source: https://birdcast.info/). The backyard is still slowly revocering from winter, and there has been a nice steady activity all week. Here are a couple of the current regulars. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
(Titmouse, Pine Siskin, Redwinged Blackbird, Goldfinch, Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker)
It was very nice
in the last two days, today, I didnt even wear socks for quick runs outside. The Cardinals are singing up a storm, the Groundhog made a first showing, the Juncos begin to leave, and I have planted some tomato and okra seeds (inside still). I am also keeping an eye on migration forecasts, and things look very promising for the coming weeks. Here are two handsome male current regulars, showing all their colors to improve mating chances.
Isn't it so funny
how certain sounds make you feel in a certain way? Stepping outside right now does that, the Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds are putting it all out there, and it makes me feel like spring. And when the landscape is barren, what better is there to look at the glorious, gorgeous Grackles? There are the blue variety as well as the purple one. Returners are Count Jr. with the white spot as well as “Kermit” with the odd eye. I hope you all had a wonderful World Wildlife Day!
This morning,
it really felt like spring outside. The Cardinals and House Finches were singing, the snarls of the Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds filled the air, and it was so warm that I did not have to wear a coat. Variety and activity is still down but I am enjoying these sure signs of spring. I also serviced the nestbox the Chickadees used last year, it needed a new roof and some other repairs. The BB house is next. And here are some visitors. Wonderfully enough, the Grackle with the white dot on the neck has returned!
I guess it is time,
spring is really underway. In the last two days, several Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds have stopped by. They may be a week early but otherwise are very timely for this time of the year. I am very happy to see something other than Mourning Doves and Goldfinches at the feeder, and I feel like I have to adjust my cam settings a bit to accommodate the larger birds. Here’s to a happy weekend!
The sun was out today,
and the birds seemingly posed with proudly-swelled chests. It is still cold and gets below zero at night but the days are undeniably getting longer, and spring is starting to fill the air with bird song. Now that the darkest time of winter is over, I am pretty much ready for spring to begin, the summer birds to arrive and getting my hands dirty in the garden again.
I worked in the veggie garden today,
and there was so much bird song going on that I put out Merlin to tell me who sings. Merlin picked up a lot, even a Tennessee Warbler, which makes me want to go explore. While I was shoveling, I spotted this guy, an immature male Orchard Oriole. I usually get an Orchard O at least for a day or two and was hoping this year too, so this was very nice. I love how his brown adult feathers are creeping in on the “bib”. I also saw a Catbird today, hopefully it comes to the feeders too.
Sometimes, complaining pays off,
it seems. Since yesterday, things have changed a lot in the yard. The Baltimore Orioles have finally arrived, and along with them, several Rosebreasted Grosbeaks as well. This morning, I can hear them all sing up in the trees too, and it is so uplifting! Here are some male Orioles and a female Grosbeak from yesterday. I have set my Birdsy camera with the Oriole feeder to stream live on birdsy.com, check it out!
Guessing from the local birding groups,
Michigan is bursting with Orioles and Hummingbirds but I have not seen either yet. I think the Orioles are soon to arrive but given recent years, I am not counting on a lot of hummer activitiy anytime soon. I did hear the House Wren sing today, and Grosbeaks are around. Here is one of them, and two weird occurances from this week - a Grack with an injured beak and a MoDo with an egg stuck to its leg. We are all confused here! Happy weekend!
Some more spring portraits.
The weather has been nasty but things seem to take a turn for the milder now 🤞. I have seen Grosbeaks in the last two days, but no Oriole or hummer yet. In other exciting birder news, a rare Vermillion Flycatcher has been spotted in my area. I have not made the trip to seek him out but I have seen photos, and he's quite spectacular. Spring migration can be quite amazing, and I hope there will be some surprises in my yard as well.
A nice big group of Gracks came over today,
and it looks like the females are starting to arrive as well. They are a bit more slender and less vibrant. Grackles can appear in many shades, depending on the light, but usually, the ones I see here are mostly blue and green. Today, a rare purple/ brownish one was there too.
I have been busy
with work but not a lot is going on either while the yard is getting ready for #spring. Temperatures are not there yet but it definitely sounds like spring. And I love that I am seeing more Robins! When the ground is frozen, they are happy for dried fruit like raisins (make sure to keep your dogs away!), mealworms or suet nuggets.
More snow is in the forecast
for tonight but spring vibes are wafting through the yard like an unstoppable force. So far I have only heard Robins and not seen them yet but I am sure it won’t be much longer. The Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds are filling the air with their distinctive raspy calls, and show off to each other in the sunshine. It is a time of promise that not even more snow can dampen.
March is well on its way
into spring, and it is noticeable when you step outside right away. The Redwinged Blackbirds and Grackles have even started to puff up already, and it is glorious to listen to and watch. The Titmice have also become a lot more vocal, and the Goldfinches are turning more and more yellow, changing into summer feathers. It is just so lovely to see the changes.
Video: The Count is back
The yard is filled with sounds of spring, as the Redwinged Blackbirds and Grackles have returned this week. We are still expecting frost too, but it is nice to see and hear more signs of spring. This one is a returner, I recognize him by his white spot, which also marks him as one of the family of the Count in my book. I sped the video up in the middle so everybody watches long enough to see him disapproving of the lack of peanuts in the bowl 😁
Another ice storm today,
but the spring migrants keep coming. Here's a very weather-battled Cowbird.
Let's hope the power lines stay put!
Despite the snow today,
spring is definitely coming, and there are signs everywhere. One of them is that the Starlings are beginning to change into their summer plumage. They are losing the spots and become glossy and iridiscent, the beaks are turning yellow, and the legs are becoming more red. They are travelling in groups with Grackles, Cowbirds and Redwinged Blackbirds, one of which also visited today. It appears to be an immature male.
Memories on social media
can be helpful to see migration patterns and keep track of things. On Feb 21 last year, a Grackle showed up at the yard. It was a special one, one of Count Grackula’s family, marked by a while spot on the right side of the head. Well, guess who came by yesterday? Birds are remarkable. Welcome back! You’ve been missed.
This week has been interesting.
It started with almost a spring-feel but ended with an icestorm. The backyard looked beautiful this morning, the lawn covered in frosted dew, and frozen, molty-looking layers over every branch. The trees were glistening with ice. Nevertheless, the hints of spring were becoming more pronounced. Today, there was not just one Grackle, but several, same for Redwinged blackbirds, and a Cowbird was present too. All good stuff for the Great Backyard Birdcount. If you haven’t participated yet, check it out, it is a lot of fun!
