Welcome Back

Birds are returning to my yard.  The sight of them lifts my spirits.  Even though the forecast and the weather don't look much like spring, see a chipping sparrow on the deck confirms the season.  I saw a hermit thrush bopping around the blue spruce in the back yard last Saturday while I was burning some branches.  A bluebird stood proudly on the septic tank pipe.  Don't get me wrong.  I like black capped chickadees, gold finches, white breasted nuthatches and woodpeckers.  But these early birds of spring, because of their migration absence, really make me happy.  I think the juncos and common redpolls have now left to go north to the arctic circle.  I haven't seen any all week.  The pileated woodpeckers, normally more sedate and elusive, have been crying and flying around the yard attracting attention like crazy.  I think two males are after the same female and my suet holder draws in all three of them.