Backyard Birds -

Is it the Spring Backyard Update?

It wasn’t that long ago when we all thought that spring would never arrive. Although it seems spring has finally arrived, it has been a bumpy road temperature wise. We have been teased with the occasional nice day here and there. It seems we have gone through dogwood winter and blackberry winter as well, but it feels like a warming trend is coming. All the wishing for warmer weather has paid off. Our backyards are seeing the arrival of nests that have been built, eggs that have been laid, some chicks have hatched while others have fledged. Spring was just around the corner and now it feels like it’s finally here.

Each year in late winter I start keeping an eye out for my Eastern Bluebirds. I usually hear the husband and wife talking to each other in mid to late February when the choosing of a nest box is the topic of conversation. The nest box must be chosen, claimed and defended. Although I kept watching for weeks, I never seemed to see the actual event occur. A few weeks later I finally found their humble abode with a nest and eggs. You see, I have four nest boxes located around my yard in various strategic locations for what I would think would be a prized bluebird location. This year they tricked me and chose a nest box that I had forgotten about. A location that would be more conducive to a House Wren, but there they were, a fine little nest with five little eggs. They have since been hatched, raised and fledged. All five are now out and about in the yard ready to start their own lives. The next stage for the parents is to finish feeding and raising their youngsters in the low branches of surrounding trees. After a small break they will begin again by building a fresh nest. I have found the new nest in a different nest box with the nest in its early stages of construction. A second brood is normal but one year I did have three broods of Bluebirds raised in my backyard of birds. My Purple Martins have over 70 nests and more nests are still under construction. Only 30 eggs have been laid at last count but many more eggs are still coming. More updates to come on the final tally of nests and eggs.

A new development for this year is on my back porch, a hanging plant has a nest of young Chipping Sparrow chicks that are being fed by both parents. A bush out in the front yard has a nest of Mocking bird chicks being fed and House Wrens are carrying sticks to their nest boxes.

A new surprise this year is a pair of Tree Swallows that got me all excited. I hadn’t had a pair of Tree Swallows for a few years and a week ago they showed up to claim a vacant bluebird box. They started nest building in a couple of days and had it done in three days. After checking today there were three eggs in the nest so in a couple more days I believe the incubation will begin.

The backyard is busy this year with the ones I can see. Obviously there are other birds that I didn’t list such as: Robins, Cardinals, Doves, Red Bellied woodpecker and a Wood Thrush that lives in the heavily wooded tree line west of me. I think Spring has arrived!