Summer Tanager and Others Arrival

I began to hear the stochatic "pit-ti-tuck" (as described by the Cornell Lab) of the Summer Tanager a couple of days ago. I have been awaiting the arrival of the male and female; I noticed them for the first time last year. The male was very elusive, I had a hard time spotting him in the tall canopy of the trees. It took me a couple of days to identify the female as she is looks nothing like the male.  You can see pictures of them here. (I didn't include any copyrighted photos here). I marvel that this pair managed their migration from South-Central America to my little patch of heaven here.  But they are here, and I am happy.

Not so happy, though, that my beloved Wood Thrush have not returned.  The third week in April generally welcomes my beloved birds--who instantly let me know they are here with their song.  However, they are perhaps just silent--busily making their nests.  Last year their choral work was greatly muted, and I worried about them.  Last week, when I was expecting much, I heard little. It was a faint few notes, and then nothing.

My white-throated sparrows have departed northward.  I miss their lovely calls and their flitting about in the brush they called home.  The yellow-rumped warblers are gone, too, insofar as I can tell. I saw an indigo bunting briefly (as with last year).  I'm on the look out for the rose-breasted grossbeak that did a 2 week layover with a female.

My bluebirds have already made a second nest in the box.  No sooner had I cleaned the old nest out at 4 p.m.....left the top off for it to dry out...returned at 8 a.m. to find a fully-constructed nest.  It looked identical to the one that I took out to include a crown of pollen!  I'm enjoying seeing the fledglings, but I only see two of the four that I think fledged.

Hope you are keeping an eye out in your neck of the woods for visitors.