Subject: Signs of Spring
Date: Feb 12 11:26:17 2000
From: Brice Matson - matson at myhome.net


Saturday, 12 February 00, you wrote to me:

> The songbirds have been proclaiming the arrival of spring this week
> on Salt Spring Island . For about two weeks, male Song Sparrows and
> California Quail have been calling regularly. This week the chorus
> dramatically increased. At the beginning of the week, first one
> then a second, Bewick's Wren started singing and doing the rounds of
> their territory at dawn. By the middle of the week the undulating
> melody of the American Robin had begun. In the afternoon sun, Purple
> Finches have started to sing, but they are still in the flock.The
> Dark-eyed Juncos have also started to give their trilling calls for
> the last three days. The Juncos are still giving their "clicking"
> calls intermittantly with their song. What a great time of year for
> birders!
> John and Heather Neville
> songbird at saltspring.com
> www.nevillerecording.com

First of all, where is Salt Spring Island? Our juncos have been
trilling for over a week. I have also heard clickings but didn't
know it was the juncos. Is it part of courtship? Mine are Oregon
race. Our biggest sign of spring is a sudden population explosion
of male towhees all courting the one female that lives here. The
towhees have brilliant aerial battles with one another. In
addition, the winter flocks of mixed species (chickadee flocks we
call em) seem to be breaking up as we've seen two black capped
alone and various other kinglets and vireos out away from the
flock.

Another sign is that my sole male song sparrow, who has had his
territory staked out for over a month now, has become even more
vocal AND yesterday he flew at the other birds on our feeder and
successfully scared them all away--2 or 3 feet away but still.
Normally he sneaks on to the feeder while other species are
chasing each other away. Not to be vulgar, but lust seems to make
the most cowardly animals into brave ones. :)

CAVEAT: Last line is tongue in cheek. I realize only humans lust
and that sparrows are driven by instinct.

Brice Matson
Cinebar, Lewis County, WA
mailto:matson at myhome.net