Signs of Spring

March photo essay

Male American Goldfinch in spring molt

David Sibley writes:

In the spring, as they grow new body feathers the males especially transform into bright yellow breeding plumage, but the wing and tail feathers remain from the previous fall. As these wing feathers get older the pale buff edges fade to white and disintegrate, so that by the end of the summer the wings look essentially all black. And in September another complete molt begins.

SibleyGuides.com also has a very neat graphic of how the male Goldfinch’s feathers change in each month of the year - it is worth checking out.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds came back right on time here which is the middle of March. They get a jump on staking out territories before the females arrive about two weeks later.

Wood Ducks have started trickling into the area as more ponds open up. They did not hesitate to make a beeline to my bird feeder which is about 60 yards from the pond.

Chipmunks have been out on warm days since the beginning of March.

Blue Jays are now sharing the feeder with the similarly sized Common Grackle

Turkeys are more active now. The first large flock since last fall showed up at the feeder this week. Males have begun their “strutting” displays to attract females.

Also migrating through and trying to prey on the abundance of birds at the feeder is a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Easy to overlook, these hawks are the same size as a Blue Jay.

Two of the common backyard nesters, Northern Cardinals and American Robins are actively singing to attract mates. Both these species try and have multiple broods throughout the summer so they have to get an early jump on claiming territory. Enjoy this unique recording of a Cardinal then Robin taking turns singing in three sets with a Goldfinch warbling away in the background.

The recording goes Cardinal, Robin, Cardinal, Robin, Cardinal, Robin.