March 14, 2008
The longer days allow for extended backyard viewing this time of year.Backyard tip of the week:
Keep your eyes peeled for returning migrants during the weeks and months to come. Early visitors have already begin to arrive, adding much needed variety and color to the backyard. Other, more tropical birds will arrive as the warmer temperatures become more frequent. Look for visual treats like the rose-breasted grosbeaks, scarlet tanagers and indigo buntings by mid-May.
Backyard sightings for last week:
Including northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, Carolina wrens and American robins. White-throated sparrows, eastern goldfinches, house finches and purple finches. Red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches. The tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, blue-jays, American crows, a couple of grey squirrels and some bunnies. Many European starlings, common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, and mourning doves.
Cool sighting of the week:
As briefly mentioned, The American robins returned to the backyard this past week. Several robin red-breasts were spotted on Sunday. Seeming just vaguely familiar at first, they were immediately identifiable once seen listening with their heads to the ground, hopping about and digging for worms as if they'd never been gone.
Another reminder of the imminent return of spring, watching the robins resume their routine in the backyard during the waning days of winter was very cool!
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