This winter has been a little harsher than most. We’ve had snow on the ground since before Thanksgiving and temps below zero. I think everyone is anxiously looking forward to those warm spring days. This year I won’t have the Robins and bluebirds as an indicator of just how close spring is. They didn’t leave. All winter I have seen my yard full of Robins and bluebirds. This is the only winter I can ever remember seeing bluebirds in the winter. I have seen the occasional Robin, but never seen so many of them all winter long. I have no idea why these little guys stuck around this winter, but I bet they’re looking forward to spring even more than we are.
Late last summer we put up a bluebird box with hopes of attracting more of these lovely birds to our back yard. Several bluebird couples did indeed check out the box earlier this spring, unfortunately they were a little too late. A chickadee pair had already made it home and built a nest.
After the chickadees and their five babies moved on, we cleaned out the box. A couple of days ago a pair of bluebirds began building in the box. Very exciting. Next to the robin, the bluebird is my favorite. Once the mama has laid her first egg, I’ll attach a sparrow spooker to the box. House sparrows aren’t much of a problem in my back yard at the moment because of the robins nesting above the light on my garage. This is their second group of nestlings in the same nest and they guard their territory well.
The robins didn’t bother the chickadees and they aren’t paying any attention to the bluebirds, but I’ve seen them chase away both starlings and house sparrows. Too bad their babies are just about big enough to leave the nest. It would be nice if they’d stick around and continue to keep predator birds away because although I will protect my nesting bluebirds to the fullest extent possible, no way can I be as vigilent as them.
Every morning, as I sit here checking e-mails, I watch out the window for the first sign of spring–Robins. When those little guys appear, I know spring is close behind. So imagine my delight when I looked out a couple of days ago and there they were. They were hopping all over the yard with their lovely rust colored breasts puffed out proudly. It was a balmy 70 degrees. Spring had arrived for sure. Now I sit here watching the snow beginning to fall–a huge winter storm moving in, closing schools and making travel extremely hazardous. It reminded me of a post I put on my other blog a long time ago. Weather patterns in Southern Indiana are erratic, but this winter/spring scenario does often repeat itself. Since my older post is so appropriate to what is happening now, I’m putting it here:
My Mom always watched for Robins to come home after the harsh realities of winter had began to fade. She said Robins were the first sign that spring was surely on it’s way. While having my coffee the other morning, I sat looking out the large windows in my dining room and the yard was full of Robins. It was about 20 degrees and snowing a little. But those little birds, so busy pecking at the ground with their lovely red breasts, warmed my heart and gave me hope that yes indeed, spring was coming.
A few days later the sun was shining and the air had warmed. I saw Blue birds…not Blue Jays. Those beautiful little birds with their bright blue feathers and rusty red breasts. They were flitting here and there around the yard. The males were scuffing with each other over the attentions of one lovely little female who sat and watched…totally unconcerned. For she knew the best would win.
I noticed flowers were beginning to pop their noses out of the still half frozen earth and squirrels were bouncing from tree to tree. Spring! A time of warmth and renewal. The awakening of nature from its long winter’s nap. ‘Hope springs eternal’ and how could hope not spring forth from within us when such sights present themselves at winter’s end and spring’s arrival?
Of course today it is back to cold with a few lingering snow flurries, but I’m not worried. I know it is only winter’s last hurrah. The birds have told me so and they are never wrong.
“Quizás viajar no sea suficiente para prevenir la intolerancia, pero si logra demostrarnos que todas las personas lloran, ríen, comen, se preocupan y mueren, puede entonces introducir la idea de que si tratamos de entendernos los unos a los otros, quizás hasta nos hagamos amigos” – Maya Angelou
Elizabeth Melton Parsons 