On the Move
Patchy fog and dew over everything; 39 degrees and still. At 6:36, Song Sparrows launch into their full songs: the first to my right, over in the brush by the drive-through bank; the second is fainter, across the creek and downriver. A Northern Cardinal repeats loud, ringing ‘chew’ notes for minute after minute.
Early Movers?
A Ring-billed Gull is early today at 6:51, this time flying in from the Gap and heading west. I have the distinct sense that I am seeing the very beginning of a migratory movement with this species, as seems to be happening with the Icterids and possibly the Great Blue Herons as well. None of these are arriving or passing through from very far away, but it’s a start. Spring is a long, hopeful process of interpretation; movements are tied more to lengthening days than to the individual quirks of the weather which, this week, promises to slingshot us through an ice storm to temperatures in the seventies and then down to the teens (again!).
On the wing, Common Mergansers, all male, are now more common than Mallards. At 6:58, five COME are already zooming through the Gap: a pair heads northwest while the other three split off and go southwest, up the Juniata.
In general, waterfowl are still quite scarce. I’ve detected no more Tundra Swans since the weekend, and the Canada Geese that come and go in small groups are still all locals, as are the Mallards. The latter seem to be flying very little at dawn and dusk: I only record one this dawn, for instance.
Grackles Take Up Residence
The junkyard raven was quiet this morning. I am first aware of it as it goes past in front of me, flying toward one of its downtown perches with a morsel in its beak, possibly some interstate venison.
A wall of fog is pushing in from Sinking Valley, but it gets stuck in the Gap, and only wisps make it as far as Sapsucker Ridge, none into town.
The first Icterid flock, at least 80 birds, comes from the west and heads through the Gap around 7:05. It emits some clucks, foreshadowing what I suppose will become a deafening chorus in a few weeks. This group is mostly Common Grackles with some Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in, and a few Brown-headed Cowbirds. The other day, redwings perched briefly on a nearby sycamore, but cowbirds have not yet taken an interest in this part of town.
Out of this first flock, three grackles settle on the sycamore, seamlessly integrating with the starling regulars. They fly up, away, and back with the starlings when the flock is disturbed by junkyard noises. Two of the grackles head across toward treetops at my 11, not to the tallest poplar where starlings also gather, but to a shorter, spreading tree. They hop about in the canopy, looking for who knows what. Then, it’s back to the sycamore.
Rock Pigeons have been strangely absent today. It is not until 7:28 that the first three lift off and head over the mountain.
I’m done by 6:36. Grackle noise is now part of the starling-House Finch-House Sparrow cacophony that continues long after the Song Sparrow, cardinal, Carolina Wren, titmice, and chickadees have fallen silent.
Later, a day of wild weather hurls raptors, ravens, and pigeons about the sky, while keeping everything else down and quiet. A quick walk to the pond turns up just three pairs of Mallards and a pair of Canada Geese. At least one pair each will end up nesting in the pond—it will be interesting to see if it is going to be these, or others.