Birdsong

One of my favorite things is to listen to the birds. They are just getting going when Monty and I head out for our first walk of the day. And, they’re active in the gardens at the feeders and the baths all day. Over the years, I’ve gotten good at recognizing their calls and voices. But, I can’t always distinguish a happy chirp from an alarm chirp. The main reason I don’t wear an iPod in the garden like some gardeners do is because I like to hear the birds while I’m working.

Some birds, like the Cardinal and the Chickadee, are here all year. Others, like the Red-Winged Blackbird and the Oriole, are here for only a short while. For me, the first time I hear the call of the Red-Winged Blackbird marks the official beginning of spring. I haven’t heard the Blue Jay for a couple of years but did hear one a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t spot it and haven’t seen them at any of the feeders, yet.

I hear the Robins most when I’m planting and weeding. I wonder if it’s because I sometimes unearth some worms. The sparrows and chickadees seem to be around more when I’m watering. One day, a sparrow hopped right into a bath as I was filling it. And, there are always a few that sit under the sprinkler—chirping the entire time.

Is there a bird whose call you don’t recognize? I found a cool website called BirdJam, where you can listen to bird calls to help match birds with their songs. What birds are visiting your gardens?