What a marvellous time of year this is. Buds bursting, wildflowers pushing their colours up through the earth, and long-distance migrants singing their way through the treetops.

For several years now we’ve been feeding orioles in Spring and Summer with a jam feeder that they empty enthusiastically day after day. A couple of days ago, from the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of orange and black fly to the spot on the back deck where the feeder usually hangs. The feeder was there…but no jam…I thought it was still too early to put any out. But this bird went to the exact spot it should have been. I went out to see if my eyes had been deceiving me. From the tree overhead I heard an oriole (literally) scolding me. It was obviously annoyed. I quickly grabbed the grape jelly jar, filled the feeding glass and put it into the feeder. Within a minute it was feeding on it! This was obviously one of “my” birds. It had come home. I tried to imagine where it had spent the winter….Belize? Southern Mexico? Certainly some place sunny and warm. I also tried to imagine the flight that had brought it back to my yard, the obstacles it would have had to have overcome: Gulf of Mexico crossing (maybe); the lights of big cities; tall buildings; possible predators. impossible to predict; inclement weather (we’ve certainly had enough of that – and it was bad in the States too). But here it was and providing sweet sustenance was the least I could do. It was a heart-warming moment.

There was a different “feel” at the Farm this morning too. The buds are just starting to break open but bird song was all over. There’s something moving when you see these long-distance birds working their way along the edges and through the trees. Life is coming back from the cold confines of Winter with gusto.

Banded 27:
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Northern House Wren
1 Veery
1 American Goldfinch
5 White-throated Sparrows
2 Swamp Sparrows
3 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Common Grackles
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Yellow Warblers
7 Myrtle Warblers
ET’s: 40 spp.
Rick