Goodbye Winter Bird Friends

 The White-throated Sparrows overwinter here yearly.  They have pulled up the tent stakes to go to their Canadian breeding grounds. (Updated:  NO...husbando birdwatcher misreported observed data.  They are still here...updated info on their northern return will be provided). The dark eyed juncos have mostly gone this week as well, though I've spied a laggard still looking for his seed and suet treats.  I've not seen the Brown Creeper lately...but he is such a small bird, it is hard to spot him even when I know he his here.  His penchant for the large oak trees and his brilliant camouflage means that if you are do not spot him moving, you don't spot him. The Yellow Bellied Sapsucker is also due for a flight north along with my Hermit Thrush.  I have a few Yellow Rumped Warblers that overwinter, and spied a couple of them today...they will not be here long.

Feeding the birds gives me such joy.  Now that the weather is breaking, they are "getting busy" looking for nesting spots (the Carolina Wrens have to be closely monitored as the grill of the truck is a fav nesting site).  I noticed the male bluebird attempting to get friendly with not one but two females, neither of whom were having any of it.  I have two blue bird boxes up that I can see.  A Chickadee was checking one out.  The male Bluebird was sitting atop the other, and I spied the female going into the box.  Sometimes they just audition one box, and make a nest in the other.  I can see both boxes from my home, so I'm always happy to watch them raise their family.

So here we are with a farewell to winter (it has been a cold one here) and a welcoming of spring...tumultuous weather to be expected

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