Migrants’ return from southern climes gaining momentum

As is always the case regarding the arrival of spring in Maine, the first signs are not crocuses, tree buds, or even ice-melt. It is the beginning of territorial and courtship displays of our resident birds, and the arrival of our first early migrants.

Let’s see… I think I heard the first drumming of a hairy woodpecker back in February. I recall it was a particularly cold morning when I went out to fill the feeders and couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the rapid staccato knocks. I knew it was a hairy because the speed of its drumming makes it impossible to count the beats. A downy woodpecker’s drumming is slow enough to count individual taps. A pileated woodpecker’s drumming is typically louder and more resonant, with more percussive force. It also tends to fade toward the end, as if the bird has become tired of the activity. It can progress at a fast rate or slower rate.

Last year, hairy woodpeckers picked our house as a major drumming post. Mostly they chose the corners of the building, but sometimes they picked the metal rim of the skylight windows to beat out their signals. This produced a most satisfying (to them, not to us!) volume of sound. They also had started to actually excavate on one corner, something we definitely don’t want to encourage!

The second sign of spring’s approach was the soft cooing of a mourning dove, what ornithologists have termed the “long-coo.” The long-coo is a series of five to seven notes, given by a male – and, rarely, a female – looking to attract a mate. Once this has been accomplished, another call – the “short-coo,” which is a three-note abbreviated version of the long-coo – is given by the male from a potential nest site. This indicates the pair will soon be building a nest.

Black-capped chickadees have been singing their “fee-bee” songs for weeks now. Although they can use this call throughout the year, it becomes especially prevalent in spring, when winter flocks begin breaking up and territorial skirmishes increase. A soft “fee-bee” song may also be given when a bird feeds its mate.

Red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches have also become more vocal, their nasal calls distinctive and adding a comic element to the growing dawn chorus.

And let’s not forget our dear little American goldfinches, which are transforming before our very eyes. Day by day the males’ drab, olive-green plumage is changing into radiant yellow, and they have started singing their rambling, warbling songs – such sweet, sweet music.

The first common grackle of the season appeared at the very top of a maple tree on our property. Its rusty gurgles and squeaks were also music to my ear, believe it or not.

Speaking of seasonal firsts, Herb Wilson, professor of biosciences at Colby College in Waterville, has been keeping a record of the first arrival dates of migratory breeding birds across the state for the past 12 years. He invites all who are interested to participate. Contact him at whwilson@colby.edu, or call 207-859-5739, and he will send you the datasheets. You can also visit www.colby.edu/personal/w/whwilson/wilsonpubs.html to read his published papers on this volunteer-assisted project. You might also check out his birding column in the Portland Press Herald.

This volunteer project is good incentive for me to finally keep track of my own sightings, and it might yield some insightful and entertaining information. Someone I knew in Blue Hill kept scrupulous records of her first osprey sighting in the area. Every year, that date happened to be April 15 – tax day.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net