In addition to nests, I was hoping to find the first Tree Swallows of the year. Last year, they arrived on March 25, but no luck yet this year. Notes from my field journal on that day last year:
Matty and I dropped Rick off after visiting the rookery and went to Pine Hills to see if any birds were around. It was 4:30, so we weren't expecting much. I'm glad we went because we ended up seeing the first Tree Swallows of spring! I heard their calls before I saw them and told Matty to "look up.....swallows!" We found them right away and followed their aerial show over the hill and out of the woods to the open field. There we watched them close up. Two came down from their play and rested on a nest box. The box was old and a weathered red...the swallow's iridescent blue feathers looked amazing against it.
This year, the old red nesting boxes have been replaced
with new ones. Hopefully the swallows approve! This new
nesting box standing in the grasses of the dormant field
caught my eye. Like the meadow, it seems to be
waiting for spring residents to arrive.
I did, however, see a different spring arrival. Where the scrub starts to weave into trees, I heard a slight scuffle and suddenly the profile of a Brown Thrasher came into view! I love these birds. They are so big and their profile is so recognizable. I also love that rufous color and their funky, big eyes! I pulled out the field journal and did a very fast 2-minute sketch, which although not as colorful or accurate, is fun to do!
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