April 3, 2009
The goldfinches have begun changing to bright yellow as part of their molting phase. The pine siskins are also showing a bit more color this week. The tulips and daffodils have now popped up in this backyard, but are already in bloom in other areas of the county. And, as a welcome addition to the spring, the pussy willow bush is blooming in the front yard and feels oh, so soft to the touch. Meanwhile, sunrise occurred in the backyard this morning at 6:40, sunset will arrive at 7:27 this evening. Having gained 16 minutes this week, we're up to 12 hours, 47 minutes of splendid sunlight each day!Backyard tip of the week:
Be sure to keep an eye on your backyard in the weeks to come as the local birds greet you with a colorful change. Many birds feathers turn a brighter shade as the spring unfolds, some will even exhibit a stark contrast to their winter colors. And that's one change that you're sure to love!
Backyard sightings for last week:
Including northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, American robins, Carolina wrens and mockingbirds. House finches, purple finches, eastern goldfinches and pine siskins. Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, the tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, blue-jays, mourning doves, American crows, European starlings, common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, a low-flying turkey vulture, some deer, a few grey squirrels, a couple of different skunks and another fly-over by what I imagine is the same pair of Canada geese from last week.
Cool sightings of the week:
A bunch of American robins were spotted as they gathered near each other last Saturday to bathe in a large puddle in the meadow. The robins were quite respectful when it came to sharing their makeshift bird bath. The bathing session seemed to begin with just the one robin, but others showed up to join in, as each bird finished, as if word was being spread among the avian community, until there were at least five American robins in close proximity. They remained in the area for some time. It was very cool!
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