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Hi All, One advantage of winters such as the one just past, soft winters where feeder attendence is light and there are few winter finches or other irruptive species about, is that it is much easier to pinpoint the exact arrival of spring migrants. Here in White's Lake the Purple Finches and American Goldfinches arrived en masse on March 26, and two days later Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrows also arrived to reinforce the few that overwintered. The over-wintering Juncos and Song Sparrows will start singing near feeders by the beginning of March, but a more accurate sign of spring is when you encounter these species singing on territory in areas quite removed from any feeders -- I heard juncos singing in coastal spruce yesterday for the first time this spring, far from any houses or feeders. Grackles arrived in the Terence Bay area this weekend, with flocks of 15 or more flying about, and territories being established. Double-crested Cormorants had not yet appeared on Inner Gull Island (in Shad Bay, HRM) as of yesterday, but the Great Black-backed Gulls have been occupying territory for two weeks now. I enjoy the inexorable march of spring. And I enjoy seeing my first coltsfoot before the end of March, though for me I cut it close -- they were in bloom yesterday at Black Point on Shag End. Happy spring birding, ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blake Maybank Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds" author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia" http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm 144 Bayview Drive White's Lake, Nova Scotia, B3T 1Z1, Canada maybank@ns.sympatico.ca (902) 852-2077 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.23/740 - Release Date: 30/03/2007
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