Birds are back?

I heard a Robin and a Sandhill crane this morning. First of the birds back. Southern Wi.

Los of robins and red wing blackbirds here too....jk

Heard robins and red-winged blackbirds this weekend, seems early for the blackbirds, and killdeer of course, they always seem to earliest birds

Been hearing a few sandhills for a week or so. No robins yet.

Swans are refueling. Locals never left.

On Christmas Eve my yard was full of robins. Temp was -2 degrees in Western NC. Think they were confused or hungry?

A lot of the birds here that stayed are dead bird flu got them near water and the subzero temps killed a bunch of others. We let the hay stand around the house and feed the heck out of them so many survived so far.

Saw my first two turkey buzzards on Sunday

Swarms of Robin's last weekend but I don't think they left in the first place. Saw a few geese paired up and a crow building a nest today.

Those must be the scouts, cause there’s still quite a few Robins and Sandhills still down here.

Saw a robin here last week but haven’t seen it since. Tons of white fronted geese, red wing blackbirds sandhill cranes and some bufflehead heads on the river.

Saw a few robins here too. Lots and lots of snow geese moving through.

Here they better bring a shovel.

crows are building nest here , but that's it

Lots of goldfinch showed up this morning. Niger seed feeder is at capacity. LOL

I'll have to buy seed

Have a little fun when you do that.

Ask the cashier how long before the birds grow up after you plant the seed.

Seen a Robin a couple weeks ago. Had a flock of 15 in the yard yesterday. Seen sand hill cranes and Red Wing black bird also yesterday.

Side note, There is a bird app for your phone called Merlin. You can turn it on and it will ID birds by sound.

Tommorow ,last year I had a kildeer.

For me the spring return starts with the horned larks showing up along the roadsides here early to mid Feb. Then the other migrants appear one after another thru spring.

I've spent all morning trying to keep a bluebird from attacking himself in my windows. Haven't seen him in an hour or so, so hopefully he went elsewhere.

No Robins here yet, they would starve. When they first arrive I see them in my crabapple trees eating the berries. Heard a killdeer last week.

I enjoy watching hummingbirds all winter. Alright, I’m in AZ.

Well, I could rotate, but not insert/replace

Just saw the first red winged blackbird here. And more Sandhills every day.

first nesting pair of geese showed up tonite.

Still haven't heard the Turkeys Gobble or the Whipporwills yet. I usually sit outside of a night listening to those Whipporwills.

It's absolutely amazing.

It is amazing…..and Free

Long way to go here before we see migrants, snow and more snow on the way and next couple week forecast not much melting. Winter is getting really old.

Red Winged Black birds showed up today, Snow storm for friday. Hope the Kildeer and flycatchers stay away for another week.

A Grackle just showed up to the bird feeder, early for them here.

Seen a robin last week boy did it screw up.

Geese never left, see them every day. Robins are back in small numbers and some years I don't believe they ever leave. See them all winter in the heavy cover and very heavy tree areas.

Blue birds in my yard today. They hop around in a dogwood that has not yet budded.

Saw some Kildeer today, they are gonna be sorry, We got 8 in snow commin tomorrow nite.

A lot of birds around I envy you guys that can hear I haven't heard a bird chirp since 1992 when I was 28 now the only time is if I have walkers game ears in hunting and my directional use is terrible

just saw the first geese yesterday

I have had a dozen red wing blackbirds hanging around my bird feeders for a couple days now. Starting to see more geese in the area also. Going to be a little tough finding something to eat for awhile. There is lots of snow here yet and more falling now.

I spent a number of nights tent camping in the George Washington National Forest listening to the whippoorwills during spring gobbler season .Also had a few grouse near enough to camp to be able to hear them drumming Those two sounds are a part of the memory bank of being in the woods in W VA in April and May.

Two things I havent heard since we got Turkeys thirty odd years ago, Grouse and Whipoorwills.

Just got back from bottom pasture, lots Redwing blackbirds and even a flock of Cowbirds.

Wood ducks showed up this morning.

5 feet of ice to go till break-up
but going to put up some more wood duck boxes this after noon once it gets above 0F
yes ZERO and that swear word f

We have 6 inches of wet snow coming in on Saturday.

I put my snow blower in back shed on Tuesday. We get any amount of snow I'm going to leave it lay to melt drive threw it..
There was a flock of birds in neighbors tree other morning. Singing Sounded like redwing black birds, but song ended different. Just weren't close enough to get good look. Was wondering if they were redwings that learned different tune??


Mac

It probly wasnt Yellow Headed black birds, but look up them and listen to their calls. Same cadence , way different pitch.

-5 this morning. I moved snow with the skid and blower yesterday four and a half hours. A couple hours of shovel work today and I may get the pickup out. I saw a magpie about a week ago, once, and saw Hungarian Partridge that I am feeding and eight sharp tails flew by this morning.

The Great BH's returning now look very odd standing knee deep in snow on fully frozen ponds they are arriving back too, lol. The horned Larks have been stalled here for several weeks along with Snow Buntings that have not yet returned North. Going to need snowshoes here for early turkey season. Wish I had a horse team and sleigh to get around our sugar bush because neither of our ATV's can get around our still deep snowed bottoms.

Medium hawk here picking off the smaller birds just doing it’s job.

Had a Bluebill pair on the pond this morning, Dont see them often here in SW Wi.

Quite often a flock of starling will mimic another bird, if the overwintered in a feed lot with red-winged B birds they use their call
if they went all the way to Arizon then they will have the Road runner


is it been that cold the Lesser Scaup bills turned blue ?

Hail storm must have blown in some visitors, This morning I found 4 Hoodies and a white egret on and by the ponds.

Also this morning while checking the cows I seen my first Meadow lark of the year.

Easter Vulture
Got some Colored Easter Eggs too. Free

Wife was asking today about Orioles and of course I know it's to early yet here. She was trying to find on line where they are now on their way back.
So anyone seeing Orioles??

Mac

Our local Canadas have their nests constructed and nesting is taking place. In a few weeks the young ones will be trailing behind the hen. With the 1.5 inches of rain the last 4-5 days and a bit of sun the southern hillsides are greening up quickly.

Bryce

Late yesterday I saw the first Turkey Vulture of the season and this morning the first Blue Heron on the pond. This year I missed the Flycatcher migration, Didnt see a one.

still a month to go.....need insect life it's a long way from Brazil to come

when clearing off the 12 inches of snow with the front end loader there was 30 Canada geese land on the only bare spot they could find.....but no grass???? they were a month behind this year returning

A stranger this morning, A Northern Shoveler, Never had one on the pond before, not sure I've ever seen one in SW Wi.

The Junco's showed up the 6th. I saw a meadowlark about then too. I saw a flock of crows fly by yesterday headed north and two blackbirds this morning. The wind is blowing out of the SE and filling in the places I had blown clean. It shows a good warm up starting Sunday. It was 17 this morning when I got up.

Today the first Kingfisher of the year showed up at the ponds, I dont believe they migrate very far, Also tonite I heard the first peeper frog of the season.

Just saw my first robin of the year, a few minutes ago, checking out the back yard.

I went to Bismarck for Easter and saw 1000's of Canadian Geese on the way down and back. I saw about 50 CG fly past the house this morning. We got up to 48 yesterday and the melt has started. You could really see a difference south of here between the way down and the way back.

besides birds I have hepaticas blooming already. Priaire Smoke and Pasque Flowers have flower buds and could bloom anytime soon.

I was working in a woodlot today and saw an Eastern Towhee and a Northern Flicker, and heard an Eastern Phoebe. All firsts of the year.

Wind is really drying out the woods and sloughs. Dry weather is good for nesting but fire dangers south of say hwy 29 are going up. Quite a bit of snow yet further north.
We are pulling taps and buckets and the woods have really dried up. Grass should really turn green by the weekend.
Bryce

Every thing but a few hill tops is white by the house. 100 miles south there was a lot more open ground. But it is staying above freezing tonight for the first time since last fall.

Peepers started last night, ground hog, bats this evening.

Saw my first mountain bluebird today here in The Yaak today, snipe shouldn't be too far out !

I saw a couple bunches of snows today fly by.

Blue Heron flying over the road today and the edge of the lake opened up ducks and shore birds showing up the snows headed North now very few still here. Seen some dead ones in the fields and on the lake not sure if they are from the fall or recent flu victims some are fresh just can't say they all just died.

Lat night a few toads were on the pond singing, Tommorow-1-4 inches snow.

Had a hermit thrush in the back yard this morning, season total up to 43 species here now
but still no American woodcock to be heard

Pelican, Herons, ducks, shore birds and robins all showing up now.

humming birds showed up in SW Missouri yesterday

Three Jakes showed up this morning. The last I saw they were headed SW.

Hummingbird hit my feeder on 4/20. First one this year.

Yesterday the Barn and Bank Swallows showed up. been a long time since the early birds showed. Next should be the Orioles , Grossbeaks and such.

Yep, barn swallows showed up at our place yesterday also.

White Crowned sparrows just arrived here this morning....the yard is full of them.

Yup , Orioles just showed up

Still awaiting for goldfinch to show.

First grosbeaks and orioles today.

Also had an egret in the pond.

First hummingbird yesterday morning also first wood thrush.

Robins, Killdeer, Red Winged blackbirds, a Bufflehead so far.

This is such a great time of year.

wow shocked me till I saw the year stamp.
Saw a Purple people eater last Monday was early for up here

Good thing about AZ; we have hummingbirds at the feeder all year.

62 species thus far in 2024 within a few miles of my homestead. Migrants starting to show. Still looking for the double-breasted bed-thrasher. Got an ivory-billed tule-wigeon (coot) a couple days ago.

Jack

We are going to get winter again this week, gonna be hard on the early returners.

Forgot, Sandhills heard last week, Geese paired up on the pond.

Where there is water it got hard the last couple days and the wetlands are really noisey this morning as I walked my daily walk. Yes the bird feeders are seeing some new comers. Starlings showed up last week and most species stay away.

Bryce

I never checked the new AOU list but when did they separate the Ivory-billed tule -widgeon from the Ivory billed Louisiana Mallard (coot) . Must be a east/west geological thing going on.

large groups of Grackles showed up.

Had a mudhen or coot on the pond yesterday, got weather coming in tommorow, gonna be hard on the early birds.

Seen the first Turkey vulture, he's gonna be suprised Friday.

Hoodies and Woodies showed up on the ponds this morning. Cowbirds came over the weekend.

I had 50-60 red polls at the feeder all winter....but now it looks like they moved north.

Flycatchers showed up by the pond today, along with a foot of snow.

Gold Finch just showed up today.

Meadow lark yesterday, he wasnt happy.

I saw a few Robin's in my yard yesterday.

I've seen lots of snow geese heading north...and a couple of juncos at my feeder today....

No new birds seen but I did hear the peepers for the first time and had dragonflys on the pond.

Tree swallows came back Monday April 8. Bluebirds have been back a couple of weeks.
I have found the Pileated woodpeckers new nest for the year. It the 3rd year in a row that he has made a nest in my woods.
Must be all the dead trees I leave standing.

Saw my first robin yesterday....for 10 seconds!! Then a kestrel came swooping down and picked him off the lawn !!

Ground Hogs are out and the Bats flew for the first time last nite.

A few robins around here.

The first of the Swallows were here today.

Haven't seen any but I put out the hummingbird feeders today..

Waves of white throated sparrows came in today. Trumpeter swans were fighting over a beaver pond territory what a ruckus at 4am

Ducks just started showing up.....

Hummingbird show up today....and the little thing was hungry...

First hummingbird also showed today but I’m sure was migrating north as I did not see this afternoon

Was driving home from a little birding excursion checking in the status of the warbler migration and found this Great-tailed Grackle feeding in the gas station parking lot. Typical a rare bird for SD this is the second pair I’ve seen in last couple weeks.
And there were a few warblers showing up.

two hummers Thursday. They seem to be sticking around.

Heard the first Wilson Snipe this morning . 4 days late from last year .

First oriole showed up this morning.

No orioles yet but a Catbird was heard yesterday so I expect to see a Brown Thrasher shortly.

Brown Thrashers showed up here 2 days ago. Waiting for my little buddies ( hummers )

Whip-poor-wills should be returning in a week or so.

I just got back from a disappointing foray for Morels, but heard a WoodsThrush for the first time this spring.

Diggerman was there any chalk marks found in your morel foray and attacks of ticks were ?
chalk marks=timberdootles

Large groups of Franklin gulls came in with this big Texas weather system we are effected by now

I saw the 1st hummer of the year about an hour ago. Put 4 feeders out for now.

No ticks on me but grandson had some, didnt see any snipe or woodcock yet.

Heard first sandhill cranes today, some geese and a few diver ducks are back. Stupid mallards that stay all winter have spread out. Rivers just opening , lakes still froze. Snow going fast, interior Alaska.

Had 2 Oriole in the yard and that one hummingbird I seen must be in Michigan by now....

Rose breasted gross beaks showed up this morning. Hummingbird feeders are going out today.

Whip-poor-wills have arrived, heard some this morning.

They were quite common here 30 years ago, now its been 10 years since Ive heard one.

Orioles showed up yesterday.

First Hummingbird showed up at the feeder this morning.

Red breasted grossbeaks showed up yesterday, Lot of competition at the bird feeders . Also the prairie plovers have been here for a while, very cool sounding bird.

Indigo buntings, and red headed wood peckers showed up this morning.

counted two hatches of Killdeer yesterday.

The gold finch showed up a couple days ago. I have not see any orioles yet. I heard a blue jay yesterday. They do not stay at the house, they pass through in the spring and fall.

The lazuli buntings showed up yesterday here...