Here in NW Indiana I've already seen Redwing Blackbirds and Brewers Blackbirds.

Robins never left. They've been around all winter.

Cardinals and Black Cap Chickadees are singing their spring songs.

What have you seen or heard so far this spring?

In northeast GA the robins just came back. They were gone all winter which was unusual. He did have bunches of hermit thrushes this winter. Sandhill cranes have been flying over in large numbers for the last few weeks. They are in for a surprise if they go beyond the Tennessee/Hiawassee River bottoms in TN this next week. Usually they stage there until winter is pretty much over.

Robins thru out the winter, they were at my water station regulary. Chickadees, Nuthatches,Darkeyed Junco, Cardinals, Finches, Downey & Hairy Woodpeckers and a Hoot owl, I hear him but never seen.

I used to hear Hoot Owls by me. Have not heard them for years. I miss hearing them.

Sitting outside with the dogs today i heard sandhill cranes. First time this year.

It helps that the wind is not blowing 100mph.

Has anyone seen any Purple Martins?

No purple Martins in my NE Georgia neighborhood yet. Expect them any day now.

Two weeks ago we had a flock of hundreds of migrating Tree Swallows settle at a local beaver pond for an afternoon and feed on the wetland insects emerging and flying. It was quite a sight. The buttonbush in the pond margins were a blue haze with perching birds waiting their turn to fly the pond.

“Hoot Owl”?

eight hooter(barred owl) or six hooter(great horned owl)

Barred owl populations seem to be pretty stable here in NE GA, but great horned owls are scarce these days.

We have had Brown-headed Cowbirds visiting the feeders in the last few days and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Location: western suburb of Chicago. Otherwise, just the usual House Sparrows, House Finches, Juncos, etc.

We had a pair of Mallards visit our backyard this morning. Also a pair of Mourning Doves. We haven't seen doves since early winter. Finally heard & saw Red-winged Blackbirds earlier this week during a bike ride.

I had a female white crowned sparrow at the feeder this morning.

Still no white throats.

Trumpter Swans ans Loons each are pairs and nest on the small lake I live on near Detroit Lakes, Mn have been verry active as soon as the ice went out.
There is also an eagle nest nearby, the Swans do not like it when the eagles fly around them.
Last year the Loons raised one young one, ane the Swans raised a couple.

Saw 3 Great Blue Herons in the Illinois & Michigan Canal today near Willow Springs, IL. Also saw 13 turtles on 2 adjacent logs in the canal. Five male Mallards flew into the backyard this morning.

I saw about a hundred Broad Wing Hawks form a kettle over a valley between bluffs last week. They would rise up like in a tornado until almost out of sight then shoot out the top going north.
This was along the Mississippi River at Great River Bluffs State Park south of Winona Minnesota.
I have been to Hawk Ridge in September a few times but have never seen a kettle. It was amazing to see.

I heard the first White Throated Sparrow in Stillwater MN last evening.

Saw this group of White Pelicans 2 times within the city limits of Detroit Lakes, MN recently.
I think they found a honey hole of minnows.
A Tern came in and dive bombed for a bite in the vicinity of the Pelicans.

White crowned sparrow
Yellow rumped warbler
White Throats
Fox Sparrow
Orioles (already hitting the grape jelly)
Brown Creeper
Brown thrasher
Cowbird
tree sparrow
chipping sparrow
song sparrow

All at my feeders

Our feeders have been largely vacant recently. A cardinal here & there, but strangely empty. On the other hand, seeing and hearing Coopers Hawks pretty regularly, and sometimes a red-bellied woodpecker. But overall weirdly slow. Even with a lot of hawks last year, the feeders were pretty busy.

This beautiful Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been visiting for a few days.

I forgot to take a picture but I have an Osprey pair making a nest about 300 feet from my cabin by Itasca State Park. I've been watching them stack branches in a dead pine that is right by the lake.

Camping at Whitewater State Park in SE MN about 10 days ago. Got the park bird list and recorded about 25 different birds. Here's a couple shots:

lindylair: "Camping at Whitewater State Park in SE MN about 10 days ago. Got the park bird list and recorded about 25 different birds. Here's a couple shots:














Great pictures. I find watching birds is very relaxing and calms the soul.
"

White Throated Sparrows are singing away north of Two Harbors. And not even the foot of snow that fell last week quieted them. I saw a wake of Vultures feeding on a road kill deer carcass off Hwy 61 last weekend.

Still White Throats, and White Crowned Sparrows here in SE MN. A pair of Rose Breasted Grosbeaks....and a patrolling Coopers Hawk this past week

These were at my feeders yesterday

I have been down and out with some back issues for most of the late spring until now. As a result, I didn't get any of my shrubs or bushes trimmed this year and my back fence is grown up. The result though has been Carolina wrens coming out of our ears. We've seen up to 7 at a time on the back deck. One morning a couple of months ago we had 5 fledglings in the same burning bush outside the kitchen window. I might just let it go again next summer and see how many we get.