First Full Day of Spring

Today is the first full day of spring--even though, with temperatures in the 20's overnight and only a high around 33, it sure doesn't feel like it.  A few weeks ago, I was convinced that March meant spring weather for us...it did last year.

Two weeks ago, we had a few days in the mid-50's.  Had I not messed up my access to my blog, I'd have posted what happened back then.  Here it is now:

March 10, 2013

I was thrilled to see a male bluebird checking out the nestbox.  It is the same one they use every year, so I tend to think it is the same pair coming back year after year (or, there descendants).  The photo could be better, but it was taken at quite a distance and cropped.  I'm just happy to have visual proof of our visitor.

After seeing him, I went out and finally cleaned out the nestboxes--something I should've done earlier this year.  The one still had the abandoned nest of the tree swallows.  I removed it and went about cleaning them all.  After wiping them down with bleach and water and rinsing them, I let them dry before closing them up.  Hopefully, it won't be too long before they are in use again!

I ended up moving his one since its post was about to break.

Hopefully this irresistibly inviting hole will be being filled with a grass nest before long.

Now, the bluebird definitely had me thinking spring, but it wasn't until a week or so later that I saw first a grackle and then the long-awaited red-winged blackbird!

March 12, 2013

Finally, my pond is getting some bird action--
there was a morning dove at it earlier this month as well.

Shortly after seeing the one, I soon saw a flock of them!  So, despite the weather, I'm still thinking spring.

March 19, 2013

March 20, 2013

The blackbirds return signals spring to me more than the robins--although, I did spot three robins the other day.  My high school biology teacher always said that spring was 2 weeks after you spot the first red-winged blackbird.  So, I guess we are more than halfway there.