If you haven’t noticed it yet, listen for it tomorrow morning. Unless you’re in the tundras you should hear a bird or two tweeting outside at dawn. It is a very welcome sign for me that Spring really is coming.
There are a variety of neato birds in my yard all year long. In their constant quest to fill their puffy tummies many of my favorite birds migrate to other zones in autumn. Some varieties stay nearby all winter long to feast on free bird seed and trees full of holly berries. Then there are the migrant birds who consider my snow-crusted lawn a tropical resort (silly Canadians) (Sorry Mel! You’re a not true Canadian anyway, eh?). The birds come and go in shifts. There is a predictable pattern to their movements and contrary to popular opinion it has little to do with the weather conditions. They need to stay fed so they can have babies again in Spring, and so they follow the food.
Late winter is time of year that the “perennial” birds in my area choose to go house hunting. They look for ideal little nurseries for their future families, safe from the elements and out of harm’s way. It is also time for them to start speaking up. Little by little the birds begin to elaborate in their songs in order to woo prospective mates or old spouses. You may not really notice it until it becomes intolerable, when Spring finally arrives and the birds are in a mating frenzy. The songs, hoots and cackles grow louder, longer, and begin increasingly earlier in the morning. Some buggers (Mockingbirds, Robins) shake it all night long.
It is not very unlike a seedy afterhours nightclub, come to think of it. As the music gets louder the outfits get really creative. Birds that were perfectly grey and black during winter are now sporting a neon shade of canary yellow or a rather daring red hat. The feathers are fluffed, the bling bling flaunted, all in order to attract the ladies. And as in any jumpin’ club there are likely to be brawls as the guys get rowdy. Some lovebirds will just keep in the shadows and whisper soft nothings… while some just go on and get busy.
The past few mornings have been peppered with short, sweet notes piping above my neighborhood. The early birds are doing their thing. Maybe they are not really into the whole club scene. I can relate. The summer after we moved into our house an itty bitty little Wren couple also moved in unnoticed. They liked the copper roofed birdhouse that Andrew bought me from Smith and Hawken. The birds were sweet and almost timid at first, but things changed quickly when the two officially moved in together. Talk about noisy neighbors. That daddy was very quick to say, “Don’t you be comin’ anywhere near my house!” every time I stepped outside the front door. Actually, the feisty House Wren’s song has been equated to follow the intonations of the following (perhaps insinuating?) song:
“if-i-sees-one-i-will-seize-one-and-i’ll-squeeze-one-til-it-squirts!”
“if-i-sees-one-i-will-seize-one-and-i’ll-squeeze-one-til-it-squirts!”
“if-i-sees-one-i-will-seize-one-and-i’ll-squeeze-one-til-it-squirts!”
Such melodies will be my alarm clock from May until August. Too bad I can’t set them to a reasonable, more humane time…
If you have never put out a nest box for wild birds on your property, I suggest that you try it this year. I have loved birds since childhood and have fed them regularly but never put out a house until 2 years ago. This year I will invest in a few more. I know that the birdies will appreciate it. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology can tell you which houses attract which birds (yes, they are picky house hunters). Due to housing developments in rural and suburban areas most birds have been robbed of their natural breeding cavities in old trees and thickets. Many neato colorful birds take readily to any hospitality you offer. I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner myself.
Roosting Swallows ©2004 Catherine Erin Hamilton
