Dakota Beacon

April 19, 2013

The week of April 15, 2013, has been one heck of a week. Tax  deadline, Boston bombings, Texas fertilizer plant explosion, anti-gun Senate vote drama -- that's enough "news" for one week.

 Then a friend sent me an e-mail that got it right -- a snowman  in the supine position with knives stuck in him. Die, winter, die!

How 'bout something light. Here's a "good news" -- "bad news"  joke. The good news is juncos and robins have arrived. The bad news is that  the Redpolls have not yet flown north to the arctic for the summer.

Company's on the way and the first guests have arrived. Like  clockwork the birds of spring drop in about this time every year. North Dakota is on a collision course for millions of migrating birds.

Woodpeckers, Bluejays, Chickadees and Nuthatches continue to  linger on. The birds that signal spring are the ones I'm looking for. Such  as Robins. And they're here!

As mentioned, the Slate-colored Junco is here. Head, back and chest are uniformly gray and their disposition is relatively tame. Juncos are ground feeders and are commonly seen skittering across the snow looking for seed. But, with snow cover as it is now, they are not shy about taking seed from my feeders.
 
 The White-crowned Sparrows usually show up in North Dakota about  May 1 on their flight north. They, too, are ground feeders. At five to six inches in length they will hop, skip and jump to the nearest seed. Distinctive markings include a prominently streaked crown, pink or yellowish bill, and erect posture.

 In time the Harris Sparrow shows up passing through to northern breeding grounds. At seven inches from crown to tail he is the largest of the sparrows. A pink bill and black bib and crown make him distinctive. He feeds on the ground and his hop-scratching for seed resembles a dance.
 
The American Goldfinch loiters in the area through the winter. About this time the male plumage begins to change from the olive drab winter color to the bright gold of summer. His bright yellow back and breast and perky black cap are unmistakable.
 
Any day now I'll hear from my sister-in-law in Mississippi that  the Grackles are on the way north. These ugly ruffians can be downright obnoxious. Their squawk, behavior and demeanor are annoying if not repugnant.

In preparation for company I work best with a "to-do" list.

  1. Stock up on birdseed. You can't have too much on hand. And, keep a variety. As a rule, the more variety of seed, the greater variety of songbirds.
 
 2. Repair or replace bird feeders. Cats, squirrels and rough winter weather take their toll. Of course, the aesthetic value is more for  the observer that the birds.

  3. Clean the birdbath. It sounds silly to clean the spa the  birds use, especially when they drink their bath water. Nevertheless, a dirty reservoir does carry disease.
 
  4. Rake the yard beneath the feeders. Some birds are ground  feeders. Stirring refuse beneath the feeders helps dry the area after snow melts, exposes some of the seed for ready access and aids in the birds'  contribution to cleaning the feeding area. With snow on the ground raking can wait.
 
 5. Selectively prune trees and bushes around the feeders.  Emphasize "selective." Birds, of course, prefer trees and bushes. Pruning is  to your advantage, not the birds. Your effort will be repaid by gaining a less obstructed view of bird antics.

 Robins are a special case. Robins don't hang out at the bird feeders although they do enjoy the company of seed-eaters. Robins, of course, prefer worms and insects, but I don't do worms and insects. On that score they'll have to fend for themselves.
 
 All-in-all, I'm pretty proud of the nursery I've provided for my feathered friends. The first order of business for the new arrivals will be to scout out a piece of real estate for nesting. I offer plenty of trees and bushes for even the most discriminating taste.
 
With preparation underway, I'll be ready for guests. Yard.  Check. Binoculars. Check. Bird identification books. Check.
 
And for dinner, what's on the menu? I'll not tell my new  arrivals it's chicken.
 
 
 
 Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or  bnt@midstatetel.com.