Watch Out....Here Comes Spring
Spring is about a month away but even without a calendar I can tell that a big change is right around the corner. Can you see the subtle signs of a fresh, new season in your own backyard?
The most obvious harbingers of spring are the American goldfinches. As early as late February you can begin to see splotches of bright yellow as the goldfinches molt into their breeding plumage. Most of our backyard birds go through a spring molt but none change as dramatically as the male goldfinch!
Feeder activity may appear to be dwindling as winter flocks are breaking up into mated pairs and establishing breeding territory.Searching for nesting sites is occupying more of their time. But soon the numbers will increase as migrants pass through and stop for a visit.
Not only can you see the signs of spring but you can hear them, too. Did you notice how quiet it was outside during the winter? I’m sure you’ve “heard” a big difference in recent weeks! The birds are starting to sing again and someone’s pecking away on those downspouts. Courtship behavior is a sure sign of the impending change of season. Male birds sing to declare their territory and to attract a mate. Blue jays make the most racket as they call back and forth while chasing a female into the tops of the trees.Those woodpeckers accomplish the same thing by drumming on your gutters and chimney flashing – the loudest one is the winner! As spring goes on, the chorus will get louder and louder. In mid-summer the raising of young will become more important than singing and the noise level will diminish.
Our winter visitors will be leaving soon, too – white-throated sparrows, juncos, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, red-breasted nuthatches,pine siskin, purple finches, etc. The males usually leave first in order to stake a claim on good nest-ing sites in their summer breeding territory. But as our winter visitors leave we will soon be welcoming our spring migrants as they pass through (fox sparrows, rose-breasted grosbeaks) and then our summer visitors will arrive – ruby-throated hummingbirds, orioles, warblers.
Keep an eye (and an ear) open, you won’t want to miss a single sign in your backyard that spring is, indeed, right around the corner!