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spring comes to Morris Creek




Spring is building in Morris Creek, in the usual slow increments that spring
comes to our little hollow.  On the 16th I heard the Louisiana Waterthrush
in one of their accustomed places behind the dam near where the spillway
pipe runs water back into the creek constantly.  The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
was also back and chattering that morning.       

The first Black-and-white Warbler was heard on the 22nd but not heard from
since.  At last, after hearing a few song phrases far away for a couple of
days, a Yellow-throated Warbler graced the yard with a loud rendition of his
little music-box song on Thursday of last week. The Common Yellowthroat and
a Black-throated Green Warbler added their voices to the growing morningsong
today.

The Cardinals are singing nearly constantly; the Whip-poor-wills are
increasing in number, volume, and persistence; the Chickadees are courting
and singing everywhere.  

Among the surprises of late: singing Pine Siskins.  On all of the warmer
mornings this week, the Pine Siskins have been singing.  This is something a
bit beyond just their usual "zzhhrreeeeee".  The numbers of Siskins is
slowly decreasing.  At the beginning of the week, there were almost thirty
Siskins at the feeder; today, they could only muster 17 at the feeder.  The
siskins are also getting round in the breast and belly, quite different from
the skinny bedraggled birds who showed up in January.

The Carolina Wren who lives in the woodpile is apparently nesting in the
woodpile.  I watched a wren this morning disappear into the woodpile with a
small piece of what looked like plastic (like grocery sack plastic).  For a
species that has been found with paper clips, staples, wire, and used nails
in their nests, I guess plastic is pretty tame.

And lastly, it seems the Phoebes are interested in one of the Phoebe shelves
on the porch.  Until almost two o'clock this afternoon, the Phoebes flew
back and forth through the porch, sometimes bringing bits of grass and bark
and leaves to the shelf, sometimes carrying away bits of grass and leaves
from the shelf.  By the end of the day, there was more "nesting material" on
the shelf than there was yesterday at dark.  I don't understand why they
haul stuff in then haul stuff away but they ended the day with more than
they started with.  Maybe nest-building is not the linear process we imagine
it to be.

Donna Bailey
Winnsboro, SC
e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
     "Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina"
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon	
    "Columbia Audubon Society"