Friday Flight from the Usual

Bird Seasons

For 19 years I have kept a bird diary. Each month I have, and still do, keep track of the seasonal birds who visit my backyard. I take note of the day I first see them each year. Over these 19 years, I have discovered each species arrives almost the same time each year. The arrival date may vary by a week or two but you can safely bet money on when they’ll make their appearance.

During these 19 years I began to associate some birds and their calls with the seasons. The first indicator of fall is the arrival of the blue gray gnat catcher. Their high pitched little beep let’s you know they have arrived even before you finally see them flitting from tree to tree. The definite arrival of fall and winter is announced by the catbird. It’s aptly named because of its cat-like call. Spring is announced by the departure of the catbird and the arrival of the brown thrasher. The thrasher looks to be an angry little creature with its yellowish brown eyes and a distaste for any other birds within yards of its own location. Even when the thrasher is tending its brood, it has a temperamental disposition. Having said that, the thrasher has a range of beautiful calls and songs. Finally, the fly catcher heralds in the arrival of summer. The fly catcher’s call sounds like someone blowing one of those little plastic whistles kids used to get in Cracker Jacks. Fly catchers are also damned defensive birds. I have seen them fly from their nesting place and latch onto a bird intruding into what the fly catcher believed to be its own personal air space. They will latch onto the bird’s back and take it all the way to the ground before releasing it.

This morning I opened my kitchen window and there on the ground beneath my bird feeder was a snippy looking brown thrasher gnashing at the grass as he searched for food. First thrasher of the year. He looked up at me with those little angry eyes as if to say, What the hell are you looking at? I knew what I was looking at. I was looking at the beginning of Spring.