Migration is starting soon, herons and songbirds returning!

 

Migration is starting and soon migrants such as herons, warblers, hummingbirds and more will be flooding into the U.S. and Canada on their way to their breeding grounds. Watching birds will help take your mind of the virus crises we are in. I photographed this Black-crowned Night-Heron yesterday on Sanibel, FL. This is a bird that occurs year round in many coastal areas of the U.S. but breeds in much of the country. So look for them soon arriving on their breeding grounds this spring. They are active mainly at night and can be found in marshes, lakes and streams. For more information see the new The Stokes Field Guide to Birds, Eastern or Western Region.

Tree Swallows are Back!

They're back! Happiness is seeing four Tree Swallows flying around our bird houses and landing on them. We have a large Tree Swallow colony here at Bobolink Farm our 23 acre NH property, with about twenty nesting pairs each year on the houses in our large field near the water. These are not the first Tree Swallows we have seen, one passed by here on March 14th but it flew on. These four look like they have been here before and right away are settling on some of the houses which they will have to defend as other swallows arrive. Bluebirds have to compete with the swallows and sometimes we put three houses together to help with the competition. Love the swallows they bring joy.

World Sparrow Day Appreciation!

American Tree Sparrow 

Something to take your mind off virus anxiety - today is World Sparrow Day, a day to appreciate biodiversity and these wonderful birds. Here is an American Tree Sparrow I photographed in fall, eating goldenrod seeds. We always used to have a little flock of Tree Sparrows arrive at our NH home and stay the winter and enjoyed their musical twittering calls. Their breeding grounds are in the far northern areas of North America. Take time to watch and appreciate birds, it's stress reducing!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Tree_Sparrow/sounds

American Woodcocks Have Arrived!

The males make a nasal "peent" sound then launch into an aerial display where they make twittering and chirping sounds. Then they land and again "peent." The displays attract females and the males mate with them then the females go off and nest in the woods.