Spring is here but you are probably home bound with friends, spouses, and kids, being safe from our national health crisis.

But you can make this a positive opportunity, it is a great time to look out your window and enjoy the arrival of spring birds.

Bird Sightings

Ryan J. Bass, PHAS Board Member and frequent Bird Walk Guide reported:

On Tuesday, March 24, I found a discarded egg shell on our porch. The size, color, and appearance was indicative of Mourning Dove. Adult birds typically remove egg shells from the nest to keep things tidy, but also to throw predators off the trail.

I subsequently found an Adult Mourning Dove sitting on a nest, hunkered down in a Hemlock, about 6-7 feet off the ground. If you’ve ever seen a Mourning Dove nest, it is hardly architecturally sound. Typically, it is a loose pile of twigs which you can see through from the bottom. From inside our home, as to not disturb the birds, I observed the parents make repeated trips to/from the nest, including “diaper duty” runs. Nestlings manage to package their excrement in pouches known as “fecal sacs” that make it easy for parents to remove and keep a clean nest.

This seems remarkably early in the season to have nestlings, with the exception of our Great-horned Owl and Bald Eagles, which begin the earliest. The Mourning Dove may raise more than one brood as I’ve seen them begin new nests into late August.

In Garrison 3-21-20

Phoebe’s have returned and are scouting nesting sites.

Bluebirds are also actively scouting nest boxes so you should clean them out now.

Finches and sparrows are visiting backyards again.

Fox Sparrows are of great interest, Read more here.

Fox at the Feeder by Pete Salmansohn

Photo Credit Amazing Birds in Spring Migration During Snow - Toronto, Canada

Backyard Birders Tips

Hibernating Black Bears that live in the Hudson Valley are now awake and roaming around visiting bird feeders and garbage cans, etc., for food. Many of these ‘problem’ bears are young bears that are now old enough to be looking for their own territory.

If you are continuing to feed birds and live in an area where bears pass through in the spring, you might temporarily bring the feeders in around 6 pm and put them out in the early morning to avoid conflicts.

Check back in as we provide more bird sightings and tips for you to follow.

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Participate in our 2020 Birdathon

This year we invite our members and friends to volunteer to submit bird species numbers from birding through windows, at backyard feeders and yards or going outside for a walk maintaining social distancing.

Your sightings will be published on the Putnam Highlands Audubon Society Web Site and to ebird.com for Putnam or Dutchess, or any other area you me be. We love to read or hear about bird sightings from everywhere.

Sign up and we will send you instructions and guidelines.

Click Here to Sign Up