Signs of Spring

Early March is a wonderful time to look for birds in Charlotte, as the resident species are already getting ready to breed. In the past week, I have seen pileated woodpeckers removing bare sticks from dead trees and flying away with them to build a nest somewhere. The cardinals are singing in the mornings now, and the tufted titmice and chickadees are making more and more noise. YES, SPRING IS IN THE AIR!!

In Charlotte there are lots of bluebirds at this time of the year. The other day, I saw 7 flocks of them along Greenbush Road…quite a treat. The males, of course, are the most gorgeous to see. Most often they will be perched on the overhead wires, but occasionally at eye level as in this photo. They do prefer rather open country rather than woods. If you have a field near your home, you may want to consider placing a bluebird nest box on a fence post in order to have these pretty birds in your yard all year long!