Nature Notes (# 453) ~Spring Is Here…The Birds Told Me So…

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I have missed blogging and my blog friends and I don’t know if anyone is still interested in Nature Notes, but I need it and to feel a connection to the world as we are all in this horrible time together..Stay well my dear friends…

Spring Is Here…The Birds Told Me So… I have 18 species visiting on most days with flocks of mourning doves and american goldfinch coming in. At least 40 of each. Also black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatch, american crows, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpeckers, red-belled woodpecker. Dark-eyed juncos. european starlings, house finch, blue jays, northern cardinals., brown creepers, american tree sparrow. mallard ducks, canada geese. Also visiting: cooper’s, sharp-shinned and red-tailed hawks. When summer comes there will be almost no visitors at the feeders as most of the birds must feed their young protein in the way of insects…This is a feed store trip and haul and it has to last as things are closed here in New York

50 pounds of cracked corn100 pounds of mixed seed

50 pounds of black oil sunflower seeds

50 pounds of safflower

30 pounds of millet

20 pounds of thistle

20 pounds of sunflower hearts

20pounds of peanut hearts

10 pounds of peanuts in the shell.

3 cases of peanut butter suet.

The wet weather continues. We had a more mild winter with below average snow fall, but the spring so far is wet.I made my way to the back yard along the path breaking the ice covering as I went, it wasn’t silent. I had company and there was talk going on. There was clearly a black-capped chickadee calling “fee-bee”

black-capped chickadee with peanut photo RamblingWoodsblack-capped chickadee with peanut photo RamblingWoods

As I came around the corner, a tufted titmouse was up in the maple tree calling and clearly advertising its presence. a..clear whistle: peter-peter-peter. The tufted titmouse came in for a peanut half. His cousin the chickadee backed off as titmice can be bossy.

Tufted Titmouse with PeanutTufted Titmouse with Peanut

The drumming. I heard drumming coming from the back woods and it came across perfectly in the quiet woods. The woodpeckers drum to advertise territory or to attract a mate and each one is a little different. Hearing this I wondered if this is the crow sized pileated woodpecker that comes to the suet and sunflower seeds in the winter, but ants are their favorite food.

Pileated Woodpecker-Photo Cornell
Pileated Woodpecker-Photo Cornell

I stood for as long as I could listening.. Music to my weary soul. I smiled and left only when I got too wet… Yes.. spring is here.The birds tell me so….

 

Nature walks are wonderful. But you don’t have to travel to special location to enjoy Mother Nature. There is so much to see in your own neighborhood or even in your own back or front yard. Get a guide-book of the wildlife in your area and learn the calls of birds and frogs and toads. So many times I hear a bird that lets me know what I am looking for in the trees.

8 thoughts on “Nature Notes (# 453) ~Spring Is Here…The Birds Told Me So…”

  2. I love watching the birds! The most common ones that I see are magpies, chickadees, sparrows and jays. I can’t feed them as the birdseed and flocks of birds attracts dangerous wildlife here–we have hawks, eagles, owls, bobcats, fox, bears and mountain lions in our hills. I do try to plant perennials that the birds like however. Thye love to eat my lavender when it goes to seed and they love sunflower seeds. Stay well, Michelle!

  3. Aw Michelle I love your birds and I’m so glad you’re back blogging. I can’t believe that the week you came back was the week I was so busy I didn’t have much time to blog. I will certainly try to link up as soon as I can.

  4. WOW! That amount of seed will hopefully carry you through this Michelle. The Pres just picked up our seed the other day (wearing his old bandana of course). Here, where we are, hasn’t gotten too bad YET although while I play by the rules, the Pres continues to drive truck into the very contaminated areas of CT (UGH). Take care of yourself, my friend…:)jp

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