As the calendar turns to May and the promise of summer draws near, my interest in feeding and watching birds tends to wain a little, as I turn my attention to yard work, gardening, etc. As the weather improves and the vegetation comes back to life, birds depend less and less on our feeding them.
On the other hand, by not feeding birds this time of the year, you will be missing out on an exciting phenomenon that happens every year: bird migration. It is a great opportunity to observe some birds not normally seen in your area during the winter months.
As I write this, bird migration is well underway, as millions of birds travel thousands of miles from their winter habitats to their summer ones. Along the way they will stop and rest looking for food sources. Thus the unique opportunity to attract these temporary visitors.
This coming Saturday, May 10th, is International Migratory Bird Day.
Many celebrations and events take place around the globe on this day. The importance of this day is described below, taken from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's web site:
International Migratory Bird Day 2014 shares the many ways in which birds matter to the earth, to ecosystems, and of course, to us. Some bird species provide practical solutions to problems, such as the need for insect and rodent control. Others disperse seeds, helping to re-vegetate disturbed areas. Others are pollinators, ensuring that we are graced with flowering plants, trees, and shrubs. Beyond the utilitarian, birds are inspirations for the arts.
On Saturday, May 3rd, I placed some bird food in my feeder and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I was able to observe at least 2 migratory species, one of which was quite beautiful:
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| Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak |
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| Female Rose-Breasted Grosbeak |
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| Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak |
This beauty is returning from Central and South America where they winter. These are rare at least in my yard, however most years I stop putting out bird food this time of the year. I definitely will continue to feed birds using at least one feeder for a few more weeks to observe the migratory species.
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| Male White-Crowned Sparrow |
This sparrow winters in the central and southern U.S. and is migrating on it's way back to northern Canada.
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| Male American Goldfinch |
This bird resides in our area all year long, however in the winter they are a much duller yellow. Their color has returned for Spring in all it's beauty.
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| American Goldfinch, White-Crowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal |
It definitely was a great weekend for birding. I hope to catch some more migrating birds in the next few weeks.
In my next post, planting onions, lettuce and more.
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