Who Cooks for You? Early Signs of Spring
By Bob Duchesne
One of the perks of being a small woodlot owner is the opportunity to watch spring arrive before anyone else notices. In fact, spring is happening right at this moment.
Most of Maine’s migrating songbirds will arrive at the beginning of May. Some can’t wait that long. Members of the blackbird family start arriving in March. Red-winged blackbirds and common grackles begin to explore our marshes while they are still frozen. The moment the marsh ice begins to soften, these blackbirds are disputing territories amidst the cattails.
The first song of the American robin will break the stillness around April 1. About the same time, song sparrows commence singing. The tiny winter wren shows up shortly after April Fools. It will stay relatively quiet for a while, but can’t resist a warm, still morning. It, too, will erupt into song – the longest, sweetest song in the woods. By Easter, hermit thrushes become audible. From the woodland edges of fields, American woodcocks begin mating dances in late April. This early influx of migrants happens while there’s still snow on the ground.
Meanwhile, our year-round residents are way ahead of them. On any warm day after Christmas, black-capped chickadees can be heard doing their territorial song. The two- or three-note song sounds like a sweet “FEE-bee, or HEY-sweetie.” It’s an invitation to potential mates and a warning to rivals. It’s a signal that, even in December, chickadees look forward to an early mating season.
Obviously, Maine birds are tough. Many courtships begin in winter. Red and white-breasted nuthatches start paying attention to potential mates. Golden-crowned kinglets are getting noisy. Three of our backyard woodpeckers are starting to get amorous.
The pileated woodpecker is crow-sized – so large that he cannot be ignored. Woody Woodpecker was modeled after this bird. If he suspects there are carpenter ants inside an elderly maple, he’ll carve up the tree. Hairy and downy woodpeckers are pairing up now. If you see one in your woodlot, give it a moment and the other will likely appear. While in this romantic phase, they’re constantly telling each other where they are, using loud, repeated “peek” notes.
Owls are coupling. Our most prominent is the great horned owl. He’s big, mean, and will chase off intruders into the area he’s considering as a nest site. We have plenty of saw-whet owls – tiny and easy to overlook. Many head south during the coldest months, but come back very early and should be renewing romantic relationships soon.
The barred owl is the one that is most often seen and heard. They start hootin’ and hollerin’ in late winter. It sounds like: “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” Owls nest early so that by the time their chicks are big enough to need a lot of food, returning songbirds supplement the rodent supply.
Another early sign of spring: small birds chasing bigger birds. Such behavior stops in the fall after nesting and chick-rearing ends, but resumes again in the spring when birds are starting to defend territories. Crows and ravens raid nests. Songbirds don’t trust them and they don’t trust each other. Watch for blackbirds chasing crows, and crows chasing ravens. Watch for ravens chasing eagles. Smaller birds mob bigger birds, hoping to harass them away. These signs of spring are out there, and you’re going to be the first to see them.