For now, I am content to listen to the resident birds who make my heart sing early in the year with the chords they strike within my soul. In the months to come, migrants will begin to arrive and their songs will fill the air. These parts of trees provide a great service for those birds – consider keeping dead branches, trimmed down to a few feet for safety. The Downy Woodpecker has figured out that it resonates well when he drums on it, sending out his signal loud and clear. I have a snag on my oak tree that has been hollowing out over the years. This drumming takes the place of singing in Woodpeckers. Wild thing Wild thing, I think I love you But I wanna know for sure Come on and hold me tight I love you Wild thing You make my heart sing You make everything groovy Wild thing - instrumental break - Wild thing, I think you move me But I wanna know for sure So c'mon and hold me tight You move me Wild thing You make my heart sing You. Each of them has a distinctive drumming sequence. Other cavity nesters include all of our resident Woodpeckers including Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker and Red-bellied Woodpecker. Listen for their very loud call which sounds as if they are saying “Peter, peter, peter” or some variation on that sequence. In addition to the Nuthatch and Chickadee, you may be lucky to have a Tufted Titmouse pair in your area. I like to think of them as saying “Hey Sweetie!” The shorter version has the first note higher pitched than the second and can be described as “fee-bee”.Ĭavity nesting birds that are resident to this area will sing early as they begin to nest earlier than the migrants that will arrive later. Within the next month, listen for Chickadees as they begin to switch from their namesake calls to their breeding song – a clear two or three noted whistle. For Cardinals, nesting time will be April in Michigan. This also has the effect of letting the females know that the territory is ready for her when mating time is at hand. In actuality, male birds sing to define the boundaries of their proposed territory. And each year I grab my binoculars and confirm that this complex song is from my “buddy”, keeping my hearing birding skills challenged once more.īirds song is prompted by the length of day, the sunlight causing a hormonal response. Could it be the same bird returning year after year? I never miss it as it is not a common song to my ears at any time of the year. Notably, this bird sings from the top branches of the neighbor’s birch tree every year about this time. As early nesters in our area, they are already pair bonded and keep in touch with their one syllable call notes.Īnother favorite I often hear this time of year is Purple Finch. Shortly after smiling over that sweet song, I heard the White-breasted Nuthatch pair calling softly to each other. “Cheer, cheer, cheer” or “Birdie, Birdie, Birdie” – the Cardinal typically repeats its’ introductory notes three times. It is a pleasure to linger outside for a few moments before I get into my car, listening for the beautiful notes to greet me in the stillness of the morning. With the longer daylight hours comes the moment that I anticipate every January – the first day that I hear the Cardinal singing! This year it was a little later by a few days – on January 25 th, instead of my early date of the 19 th.
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