BIRDSONG IN THE AIR

I stepped out the door one morning this week and heard the welcome music of a favorite bird returning from its winter migratory spot.

A male Red-winged Blackbird was perched on the bare branches of a nearby bush.  What a welcome harbinger of spring he was!

He must have been happy to be back because he was really belting out his rich, musical “o-ka-leeee” song.  I've seen him on my feeders several times too.

Late that afternoon, I headed out to my favorite farm country.  I hoped to see that spring-like changes had happened over the last week.  I had my window cracked, and right away, I heard the songs of many Red-winged Blackbirds.  This one was on a bush in a favorite swampy area where I see many of these birds perched on tops of cattails. 

I also saw several returning Grackles perched atop some fir trees.  They aren’t my favorite species because they tend to raid my feeders in large numbers and clean them out.  But it’s spring now, or will be tonight at 11:50 p.m. EDT, so I’m happy to see all the birds.

As I drove on, I noticed many farmland ponds had opened up more.  Parts of most had at least some flowing water, which would attract migrating birds who needed water for bathing or drinking.

I found a pair of Canadian Geese at the edge of one of these ponds.  While many Canadian Geese stay in the area over the winter, they need an open water source, such as the south end of the Boardman Lake at Logan’s Landing.  I’m guessing this pair was migrating because the farmland ponds had been frozen over all winter.

Another handsome pair was each standing on one leg on a patch of ice in the middle of the pond.  I imagine they’d been napping or preening, and I’d interrupted them.

I drove on and was amazed at how much snow had melted in the fields in just one week.  Another leap taken towards spring!

It was time to head home.  I had a secret hope, though, and it was fulfilled as I turned onto the last part of my loop.  I knew this was prime feeding time for deer, and I hadn’t seen any recently, but there on a distant hill, I saw five deer, bathed in the low light of the approaching sunset.  Made my day.