OHIO – Bird watchers anticipate spring migration like kids anticipate Christmas and that time is here and now. Our songbirds who travel outside of the state during the winter months are starting to return to their Ohio homes.
By early March, we start looking for the first tree swallows to return, soon followed by the first purple martins. Another early audible sign of spring is the song of the eastern phoebe, which usually happens in early March. By late March, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for hermit thrushes as they pass through, and for Savannah sparrows to return. March is also a month to look for rusty blackbirds.
What about robins youll start to see them soon also, but they didnt migrate. No robins mostly stay around the area but they change where they live during the winter months. Mostly in groups and in forests looking for little frozen tidbits of of berries and fruits still on the trees. Soon you will see them hoping around on your lawns looking for fresh earthworms.
Up in the sky you will start to see the larger birds like the Sandhill cranes and some waterfowl start heading north including Candian Geese.
Next month several other birds will return also, but the above-mentioned birds are the first signs of spring. So its almost time to open those windows and start hearing the early birds of spring.
