Spring is Springing!

Or it is in Alabama, anyway.

The air was full of birdsong this morning! The music overpowered all other sounds and I stopped just to listen. There were the warbling calls of bluebirds, mockingbirds and brown thrashers competed with each other to see who could come up with the most imitations, Carolina chickadees scolded the dog, and there were so many other voices it was impossible to sort them all out. I can't think of a more gorgeous, absolutely perfect soundtrack for my day.

For the last couple of weeks, the wild birds have been busily scoping out the birdhouses we have scattered around the place. The box used by last year's bluebird couple is being checked out by another pair of bluebirds (or it might be the same pair that used it last year, dunno) and my husband saw a tufted titmouse sitting on top of it with a couple of sprigs of grass in its beak. A wren has poked its head in the door once or twice, too. So we'll see who ends up renting that unit.

A pair of Eastern bluebirds (I'm inclined to think it's the same pair mentioned above) is also constantly going in and out of a birdhouse in the garden. One day I saw the female messing around inside the house with a feather. She would poke her head out the door, feather in beak, look around, and then go back inside. Maybe she was doing a little spring cleaning. The couple has been busy around that house again today and they're also actively chasing other birds away from it.

Last Saturday, we hung a new house in a tree outside my office window. Already tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees are chasing each other away from it. That afternoon I noticed an Eastern bluebird, a cardinal, big sparrow of some sort, numerous chickadees and titmice, and a lone wren checking it out.

Then yesterday I spotted a chickadee going in and out of that house. It climbed beneath it to check out the bottom; next the little guy examined the back of the house. Guess he/she wanted to make sure everything is in good shape. Later, there were two chickadees looking it over. I think one of them was the one who was there earlier, determined the house was okay, and then went after its mate. ("Oh, Honey, you just have to see this house! It's in a good neighborhood, has lots of room for the kids, and access to water and a well stocked grocery store.") We'll see what happens from here.

Garden note: My Japanese magnolia is covered with beautiful purple flowers! These trees look strange with their bare, leafless branches all decked out in flowers, but I love them! They smell nice, too.