It's not even mid-February yet, but I noticed an early sign of spring this week - a male cardinal singing in a lusty manner. Of course, cardinals are a year-round resident in Southwest Virginia, and they do sing year-round, which is unlike most songbirds.
Nevertheless, the duration of this particular bird's song was what made it different. The cardinal, at dawn, launched into a full-throated outburst and kept up the music for quite some time. In a week or so, I wager, our local Carolina wren will begin doing the same, and I also expect to hear mourning doves singing soon as they are one of the first birds to build nests, around here usually in March.
I also expect the two turkey gobblers that have been roosting behind our house to become "restless" by early March. Then I will know for sure that spring is here.
We have a storm water management pond in front of the building where I work and the the Canada Geese (2 pairs) who raise their young there every Spring have returned and taken up residence already. No nesting yet, but they're hanging out and resting very close to the clump of small Weeping Willows where they always build their nests.
ReplyDeleteHershel, thanks for the comment
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