Where are the blackbirds?

“This is getting old,” said everyone in Vermont. “We’re ready for spring!” This is a conversation that has been repeated for weeks throughout the state as winter refuses to abate. The colder-than-average temperatures have certainly had their effects on wildlife, including here at the North Branch Nature Center.

One of the first signs of spring at NBNC  is the arrival of the Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows. They are among the first avian migrants to return. While sightings from other locales are beginning to trickle in, we’re still waiting at NBNC. How late are they? We went to the record books to find out:

We’re already a week past our 5-year average arrival date with no sign of our early-spring migrants. That could change any day now, and we hope it does! When do you think we’ll hear the first “conk-la-reee!” of the Red-winged Blackbird? Have you seen or heard Red-winged Blackbirds or Song Sparrows yet?