Spring birds arriving.

[tcreeley]

I saw 3 hooded mergansers swimming in a small brook yesterday by the road. Heard a cardinal singing and two purple finches were in the door yard. Tons of robins, redwings, and some cowbirds have shown up. There is still a fair amount of snow around, but it was sunny and in the 50's today.

 

[Sterff]

I saw 3 hooded mergansers swimming in a small brook yesterday by the road. Heard a cardinal singing and two purple finches were in the door yard. Tons of robins, redwings, and some cowbirds have shown up. There is still a fair amount of snow around, but it was sunny and in the 50's today.

Its been over 70 for the last two weeks here. We planted 22 acres of corn today :laughing:

 

[rekees4300]

The phoebes have returned. It's official - Spring has sprung.

 

[Baby Grand]

I had my first mosquito bite today.
Oh joy of joys!
Robins are attacking their refletions in a garage window and my wife's car passenger side mirror.
The grackle / red wing blackbird bunch arrive last weekend and are chattering away.
The winter rye is greening up.
It's still light out when I get home from work!

 

[QRTRHRS]

Glad to hear that the redwings are showing up. I have been hosting thousands of mixed blackbirds all winter. Most of them should be leaving save for a few that breed here.

Heard "peeper" on my way home from work this evening for the first time this year too. Flys have been swarming all over my light yellow sided house so I picked up some traps to try to pre-emptive strike them.

Then there is the yard. Seems like I just winterized the ZTR. Hate to think about my gas bill for mowing this year.

 

[tcreeley]

74 yesterday. Thought I heard a mockingbird today in town- but probably too early for that. No frogs yet. Canada geese in small groups were flying over the house during the early morning drizzle yesterday. Black ducks were in the flooded fields today.

 

[creekbend]

Robins are plentiful, the clover is in bloom, and there are daffodils behind our pump house. I plan on mowing and weed eating tomorrow. Yes, Spring weather is here.

 

[tcreeley]

This morning I heard a song sparrow singing from one end of the yard. From the other I heard a white throat sparrow "Pure sweet canada...canada...canada or Poor Sam Peabody...Peabody...Peabody! You get the drift,
A little later I heard a killdeer calling from a playground and when I got home from work- there was a phoebe calling in the yard.
I used to feed the birds heavily- but with 7 kittens grown to 7 young cats- I don't anymore.
The robins are singing every morning just before first light while it is still dark.
I haven't heard spring peepers or other frogs yet, not since January during a warm spell. I wonder if it did them in. Only 1 mosquito.
Last 2 days in the 80's.

 

[Baby Grand]

The wood frog and brown tree frog chorus is getting loud every night.

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/3508
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/3506


Very pleasing sound and completely drowns out the drone of the highway.

Still waiting to see the rose breasted grossbeak who passes through around early April, every year.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I saw 2 Bluebirds in separate locations earlier this week.

The snow that the OP said was hanging around here in central Maine....Gone.!!:thumbsup:

 

[torry]

Ah god I love the smell of spring. Although too many flies..

 

[tcreeley]

I am still waiting for the bluebirds in my area.
Saw a sparrow hawk + couple of black ducks in South China today dropping in on my son, and 20-30 common grackles.
This morning going out the door I heard a wild turkey "gobbling" off from the woods/field next to us. Getting a bit cooler tonight- but drying from the wind.
Should be another few weeks before the rose breasted grosbeaks get up here.

 

[tcreeley]

My wife saw 8 turkey vultures yesterday soaring above town. Until 10 years ago I never saw them north of Massachusetts. Pretty common now in the summer.\\I took the snowplow off the tractor today! Cleaned up the road to the backfield of the horse's droppings from all winter. No bugs yet. Field is much too wet to drive the tractor onto it- unless I want to leave it there till after mud season!

 

[whistlepig]

I heard some spring peepers last week. The buzzards are returning. I mowed grass today. First time in my life that I can ever remember mowing the yard in March.

 

[tcreeley]

2" of snow fell and the large flocks of robins are on the road edges where the now has melted looking for food- worms.


I heard a woodcock tonight while out with the horses just before it was dark. bzzzzzzzt bzzzzzzzt

It does this call as it climbs up into the air pretty high -- then it almost spirals down singing a bunch of trilling notes until it is back on the ground. Then it starts over. -Mating call/flight! I track it by the bzzzt call- can't always see it- but I can hear it! Fields/ edges/ brush/ light woods

pic off the net:

 

[grnspot110]

Had six Purple Martins at the gourd house set today:

 

[Baby Grand]

2" of snow fell and the large flocks of robins are on the road edges where the now has melted looking for food- worms.


I heard a woodcock tonight while out with the horses just before it was dark. bzzzzzzzt bzzzzzzzt

It does this call as it climbs up into the air pretty high -- then it almost spirals down singing a bunch of trilling notes until it is back on the ground. Then it starts over. -Mating call/flight! I track it by the bzzzt call- can't always see it- but I can hear it! Fields/ edges/ brush/ light woods

pic off the net:

We had one doing it's thing at he edge of our drive a few years ago. It was dusk going on dark as we rolled up in the car. The windows were down, so heard the wierd noise and sat in the car, lights off and watched. Crazy little bird. Hope I am lucky enough to see another!

 

[tcreeley]

What a great spot for martins! A neighbor had them for years- but moved.

Saw my first two bluebirds today- sitting on a de-limbed apple tree when we went to visit my son 1 1/2 hours south of us. The act a bit like phoebes- waiting for a bug to come by to grab. We still have snow- his snow is only in the woods. Head some peepers and another woodcock while we were there.

I'm grabbing pics off the net- to put pictures with the bird names.
1st is a male eastern bluebird, 2nd is a female eastern bluebird.

 

[Pete Judd]

The most wet March in recorded history here. Seeing birds that I have never seen before as well. 11+ inches of rain. The grass is growing gangbusters but to wet to mow. River just to the north is high, and will have to watch it before we might get cut off from the town. Only way out is the logging roads, and a 30-60 mile go around.

 

[jimmyj]

We have many of the same birds showing up here. Our old reliable wood ducks are back but no purple martins or tree swallows yet. I'm off to clean out the nest boxes today.