Does a Robin mean Spring to you? It might here if Robins used this area for breeding. We have to be a bit more subtle here for bird signs.Today, even though it is early, my old toneless ears were picking up sounds of Spring from the birds.

As I wrote last week, we heard the unmistakable mating calls of a male Cactus Wren in or backyard. How did I know it sounded like a Cactus Wren? I saw it in our tree. There he was – and will be tomorrow – sitting in our Ash Tree calling to.. (who?)

This morning I heard the mating call of a Mourning Dove. Usually Mourning Doves around her are pretty quiet but they coo loud and clear in the Spring and Summer. BTW, did you know that when a Mourning Dove whistles as it flies it is not actually calling? Actually that whistle is caused by air rushing through its wings.

This weekend the Red-winged Blackbirds at Dead Horse S P have become very raucous. I can hear a great of clicks, whistles, and yells coming from deep within the cattails on the water’s edge at the lagoons. But you do not see any birds because they are keeping to the bottoms of the vegetation. Yet, several of the males were, indeed, making their territorial calls that w know so well. It’s early and they were not coming up to display in accompaniment to the calls, but the idea is there. Sp[ring is not far off.

Who needs a calendar? I have the birds!!