It's wild to consider the last time I wrote was about a month ago, and about a nor'easter. Since then, it's snowed at least one more time, then most of it melted, and signs of Spring started springing!
The Robins and Sparrows came back and started singing, hawks have been on the move, Red-winged Blackbirds are screaming their heads off, Grackles are giving you the stink eye, and the weather has been warm and cool, and then warm and cool again.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Spring. I'm terribly allergic to many things, including tree pollen, so Spring is often full of watery eyes and sneezing for me. It's also a rainy season, making birding all the more uncomfortable, even if the temperatures are warmer.
But Spring is also the time to see exciting, though brief, visits from colorful Warblers and other migrants who are just passing through your neighborhood. They are so brightly colored, so quick, that it makes birding into almost a real sport.
One that definitely requires some training.
We're early in Spring migration. The bulk of what I'm seeing are returning migrants, but I'm eager to hear my first Yellow Warbler, or Pine Warbler. It's not the temperatures that determine my changing seasons. It's the animals. I'll know Spring has really started when the Warblers come around.
Migration Tools
To see expected migrants: BirdCast Migration Dashboard.
To see what other people report: eBird Rare Bird Alerts, or eBird Needs Alerts (if you're an eBird user for the latter).
Cool Books About Nature
- I've been reading Bird City by Ryan Goldberg... and I've been reading it very slowly. It's a really well written account of why New York City is a birding paradise, while balancing the dangers and man-made disasters that are demolishing our feathered friends. The chapter about birds striking windows made me cry and I had to step away from the book for a bit. All that said, it's great, and worth the read.
- Naturally Curious with Mary Holland is a month-by-month look at what animals in New England are doing throughout the year, including the types of animals, insects, and plants you an expect to see and where. A lovely way to look at the world around you, and to identify the things that are just outside.
- She's also got a blog! You can subscribe and receive email newsletters.
New-to-Me Birds
I love a weird duck.
That's all I have for now! Pretty boring, I know.
Maybe next time I'll write about actually seeing these birds. But for now, it's list city!
