Minor Urban Phenology

[pameladean]

Yesterday was mostly overcast and full of a bitter wind, but there was a great deal of birdsong going on. I heard and saw a grackle for the first time in months. Starlings, who have been around for several weeks now, were making their squeaky slidewhistle sounds. I've heard individual house finches tuning up, but yesterday five or six ot them were having a little preliminary competition. Chickadees were buzzing and deeing. No "Phoebe!" cries so far. Cardinals settled into their longer song, not just "What cheer" but also the triple set of notes at the end. Robins were whistling, and also making that very indignant woodpecker-like noise with which they indicate displeasure. And for the first time since last fall, mourning doves were calling in the twilight.

Today a male house finch, resplendent in his raspberry-colored head and neck feathers, walked up and down the outside ledge of my office window, cocking his head. Possibly he wondered where the other tree was. While I was out walking, I made sure to go past a corner lot near my house that is lavishly planted, mostly with native species. Next to the red-stemmed dogwood is a spindly shrub with cherry-like clumps of bright-red berries. A flock of chickadees was busily devouring them. One female cardinal was there as well, but she decamped as soon as she noticed me, although I was standing still.

The snow is melting as fast as it can, but there is still quite a lot of it about.

P.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

How I love these images! Thank you for posting that.