Spring is here!

At last, some signs of spring!

Maple sugaring buckets are gone.  Most  nights have been above freezing and the days have been 40s and 50s, marking the end of sap flow.

Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are nesting.  The male is the bright blue bird on the left.
Click this link to hear Eastern Bluebird sounds.

Another bird to listen for is the Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus).  The males arrive here earlier than the females to seek out the best nesting spots.  See a better photo and hear the distinctive trilling of the Red-winged blackbird.

It's also time for spring peepers, wood frogs and salamanders to make an appearance.  Many people in Mass. have reported seeing salamanders, snakes, and frogs although much later than last year.  We've been checking the nearby vernal pools and while the ice has melted for the most part, there are no signs of visitors.  

Here's a spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) that visited our backyard pond last summer.  Looking forward to those warm sunny days.