Swallows!!!!

Today gave us a hint of spring.  It wasn't exactly beautiful out but we did get a glimpse of sun for a little while and the temperature climbed into the low (very low) double digits...by noon the very first flower bulb  in the garden was in bloom and despite light rain all afternoon, there were a number more in flower before this evening.

Remember a few posts ago I said that one of these days we'd arrive at Harrison Bay and there would be so many birds we wouldn't know where to look first?  Well today was one of those days and the most exciting find....

Tree Swallows!  about a dozen of them.  How nice to be hearing their twittering chatter as they fly overhead.

we've been seeing...

American Robins for a while now, but today there were robins everywhere you looked!  I estimate 50 or more in the general area.

A surprise was...

this Varied Thrush...the first one we've seen over there all winter!  Varied Thrush will be quietly disappearing as weather improves and they move northward and upward into the mountains for the breeding season.

unlike the robins that are settling in.  There were also Towhee, Song Sparrows, Chickadees, Flicker and those Downy Woodpeckers.

The...

Bald Eagle pair were perched near the nest....would imagine she will be sitting on the nest by the end of the month.

by the time we were finishing up our walk it was showering again.  I can only imagine the activity there will be if we actually get a nice sunny day!

there is one area near some feeders where there have been a large flock of House Sparrows, they tend to hide deep in the bushes so very difficult to get a photo of....

not so difficult....

is getting photos of the Anna's Hummingbirds....especially right now as it is nesting time.  In another week or so we can start watching for the Rufous Hummingbirds to show up....maybe, finally, spring is on it's way!