season of birds

red-eyed vireo

The other morning Allyn remarked that there are a lot of bird sounds in the morning these days. There sure are. This is truly the season of birds here in Vermont. Every morning they announce to the world, "Here I am. This is where I live so stay away please." 

I'm no ornithologist, but the birds distinguish themselves in a variety of ways. Some are defined by their songs. The red-eyed vireo sings almost continuously. The songs of the veery and the wood thrush are hauntingly beautiful coming out of the depths of the woods in the evening. A local woodpecker has made its presence known by banging away on the large metal casing in a nearby pasture.

Some birds are remarkable for their plumage; the goldfinches, bluebirds, and orioles come to mind. There are others with their own distinctive behaviors. The swallows beckon with the grace and power they demonstrate aloft. The prosaic house wren is known not only by its call, but also for its irritating habit of filling up bird houses with small sticks so they can't be used by other birds.

As with all the seasons in Vermont, the season of birds is a short one. By August the mornings will be much quieter as the nesting periodwill be essentially over, and some of the species will start to make the long journey south for the winter