It is such a thrill at this time of year to witness the beginning of avian courtship rituals in response to the coming of spring.

Our walk on a sunny, near-balmy morning gave us the chance to hear the high, tinkling notes of a brown creeper’s song. These birds are quiet during the non-breeding season, only emitting single-syllable, subtle call notes as they forage on the bark of trees. Come spring, however, they become virtuosos as they exuberantly sing their songs.

They become much more easy to spot then as well. We followed the sweet, lilting voice of one until we spotted it creeping up the trunk of a white pine. It exchanged songs and call notes with its mate – or perhaps it was a rival – that was also foraging on a cedar nearby.

As if this treat were not enough, we heard a sudden, staccato drumbeat from a small wetland nearby. The loudness and quality of the pounding identified its maker as a pileated woodpecker. We hurried to the spot and saw the bird at the very top of a bare, dead pine some distance away.

The woodpecker appeared to be foraging for food in between its bouts of territorial advertisement. It was hard to spot at first because it was almost camouflaged against the trunk of the tree. Then it craned its head out to the side of the tree to inspect some promising cavity and the sun caught its crest just right, turning it a blazing, fiery red that was clearly visible across the distance. It let loose with its penetrating call and flew with a bounding flight into thicker forest.

It was a good day for woodpeckers, for we saw two more along the trail. First a hairy woodpecker made an appearance, and we watched as it excavated the dead wood of an old birch tree. Meanwhile, a downy woodpecker foraged high up in a maple.

We don’t often get to view these two species together in the wild, and it was a good opportunity for comparison.

We continued our walk and soon encountered a group of chickadees. These birds stay together in small flocks during the winter, but now it was obvious they were starting to break off and form pairs for breeding. Individuals – most likely males – were singing thief soft, “fee-beee” song, warning others away from their newly established territories.

The migrant birds have begun arriving as well. The list so far includes: red-winged blackbirds, grackles, killdeer, snipe and woodcock. I look forward to greeting these travelers for, along with our residents, they bring a joyful, life-affirming message: Spring is near!

Chris Corio’s column on birds is published each Saturday. Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com