The Loudest Performance Of The Year

It’s still a little cold out, not freezing though close enough.   But it’s warm enough for birds to migrate back to this area.  The ones that take residence year round and group together for winter survival start to de-group now.  They all sing to make their territory known, and to attract females.  This time of year they usually sing at their loudest.

A few of them have already settled, built nests and some of them have laid eggs.  Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) have taken one of the nest boxes and produced four eggs a couple of weeks ago.  American Robins (Turdus migratorius) settled in the rhododendron in the front, also with four eggs.  A pair of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) is in the middle of building their nest.  The Chickadees (Parus atricapillus) are still choosing.  Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) should come back soon since the cherry trees have started to blossom.

All in all we have a very loud garden and it seems a non-stop chorus, except when the hawks come by.  And, these are some of the louder singers:

Still more to come, some migrating birds have not yet arrived.