May Bird Bulletin
Courtesy of Kate Neall, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gambrills.
• Spring has sprung and love is in the air! From dancing, to eating, to nest building, to singing – birds have many courtship rituals. May is the peak of the courtship season, so it is the most likely time for you to spot some of these unique behaviors right in your own yard. Keep your feeders full and your nest boxes ready – and enjoy the show!
• Let’s go Os! Orioles return to our area and begin nesting. Be sure to have their feeders, nectar, oranges, and jelly out early. If you don’t already have our beautiful state bird visiting your yard, now is a great time to try attracting them. Orioles have a strong homing instinct that can bring them back to not only the same area, but the same tree year after year! It can take some time, patience, and consistency to get them, but it’s well worth the effort!
• Bird Bonanza! Early May is peak migration time for our area. Keep an eye out for other birds visiting/returning to the area – such as Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, Veerys, Mimic Thrushes (Mockingbirds, Catbirds, and Brown Thrashers), and Warblers (peak migration). You may notice that your Chickadees and Titmice have become scarce at feeders – don’t worry they haven’t left, they are just busy nesting and raising their young.
