South WI here, up & down weather still. I have had some bluebirds checking out nesting options with bird houses.
For me a sure bird sign of spring is when the bug eating tree swallows make it here, usually early April. They have a distinctive tweet, I often hear them before seeing them.
Posts: 7401 | Location: WI | Registered: February 29, 2012
Growing up in Nebraska, my Uncle John had a martin box, like pipe smoker mentioned with respect to tree swallows, purple martins also nest in communal boxes. Like tree swallows, or any swallow for that matter, they are flying insect eaters. Our sign of spring is the return of meadowlarks, and they’ve been back about 2 weeks already.
Rather than tree swallows, we have cliff swallows that build their nests under the bridge going over Crow Creek. Haven’t seen them yet, nor the redwing blackbirds that nest in the vicinity of Crow Creek.
_______________________________________________________ despite them
Posts: 14748 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: January 10, 2008
Originally posted by sourdough44: I like bats also, later yet with arrival. Years ago I made & put up a ‘bat house’, no idea if it was ever used.
They seem to find tight spots to live, without a special house. I like watching them at dusk. I think I had one down the chimney years ago.
They never use the bat houses. They prefer real houses. I evicted a small colony a few years back and they relocated to my neighbors house. Now I get the benefit of mosquito control without the guano !
Posts: 5301 | Location: NH | Registered: April 20, 2010
_________________________________________________________________________ “A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.” -- Mark Twain, 1902
Posts: 10381 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: November 04, 2005
Some hummingbirds have shown up, along with hooded orioles and a few turkeys. We put the oriole and hummer feeders out two weeks ago after a quick sighting.
"Nature scares me" a quote by my friend Bob after a rough day at sea.
I evicted a small colony a few years back and they relocated to my neighbors house. Now I get the benefit of mosquito control without the guano !
