H.J. Ruiz – Avian101 – Page 625 – "My Backyard Visitors" – All about birds

Action and Reaction

This week is the second that we have rain daily, and sometimes by the intensity and amount of water resembles a wet monsoon!

All the streams are running full and fast and the soil is getting saturated creating big puddles everywhere.

Grass, all plants and trees are green already. Actually is the rain season for Georgia.

When it comes to birds, rain is secondary to their hormones and the instinct for mating. There’s a great deal of action going on in every species that frequent my backyard and feeders. Some are still looking to find mates (American Goldfinch) other birds are building nests (N. Mockingbird), some already have a nest and most likely have eggs to care (Eastern Bluebirds, N. Cardinals, Carolina Chickadee, Mourning Dove, etc,). Some birds already had some fledgelings (House Finch).

As you can realize, rain is the least item of their list of priorities. Let me tell you that the activity is as urgent for predators too, Cooper Hawks, cats, snake (yes!) Crows are prowling around constantly. The N. Mockingbirds are very busy at this time, always on the alert!