A Sign of Spring

By the time you are reading this, Spring will officially be in-season according to the calendar! I use one bird species as my Spring indicator, and that bird is the Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). My first sighting for 2023 was March 8th here in central Pennsylvania. Male Red-winged blackbirds arrive ahead of the females from as far south as central America, sometimes as early as two weeks before, and anywhere from late February into early March.

There was not much creativity in naming this jet black bird with red on the wings. Male Red-winged blackbirds are easily identified by their red wing patch or epaulet, with a yellow stripe beneath. Females and juveniles lack the red epaulet and are  dull brown with dark streaks. Their preferred habitat is wetlands, marshes, pastures, and hayfields. An old wet meadow along my township road is where I spotted two males perched.

Many believe the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is the first migrating bird of Spring. I will agree if you stop seeing robins regularly in the Fall, then the robins around your home do migrate, but how far? Some robins can be found in the Northeast year-round, while others do fly South for the winter. The arrival of those that do migrate is very similar to that of the red-winged blackbird. Hence the reason many people believe robins are a sign Spring has arrived! Then their neighbor tells them they have had robins in their backyard all winter.

For birds, breeding season will begin soon after their arrival. For many Pennsylvania wildlife, breeding season has already peaked before Spring, and therefore by mid-April into May, birthing season has begun. Young wildlife certainly grabs our attention, whether it is fawns playing, young opossums in their mother's pouch or riding upon their mother, grasping her fur, or young birds in their nest awaiting their parents bringing them food, please do not disturb these young developing wildlife.

My time with Extension up to this point has been short, only three months. I have been a deputy state game warden with the Pennsylvania Game Commission for over twenty years. During this time, I have seen and dealt with many human/wildlife encounters. If you are absolutely positive young wildlife are orphaned, please contact our central dispatch so an officer can investigate and possibly get the wildlife to a rehab center, otherwise, please do not disturb.

Fawns, the name of young White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are one of the most rescued wildlife species in Pennsylvania, and most of the time they did not need rescued. Fawns will lay and wait for their mother to return to feed them, and this is when they are rescued because many people will think they are abandoned. If you see fawns near their deceased mother, then please call the game commission for assistance. Otherwise, please do not disturb fawns awaiting their mother's return.

Over the past four years I have released racoons, opossums, and squirrels on my property after being raised in a rehab center. This center keeps the wild in these creatures so they can be returned to nature. Watching and enjoying wildlife, whether birds or mammals, brings a lot of happiness to many. Just like the happiness of seeing the Red-winged blackbird and knowing Spring has arrived.