Winged Wednesday - May Arrivals

In Wisconsin April is coming to a cool, rainy end, and it's time to start thinking about warmer, sunny weather in May. Although it looks like May will get started off mirroring April's end, we eagerly await our last round of migrating visitors. Our species count for this year is already slightly behind last year, but perhaps the next couple of weeks will help us make up some ground. So who are the birds we are looking forward to seeing in May?

Two female Grosbeaks have a morning bath.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak: We welcome a handful of these birds every year. Typically we get a couple of pairs who will hang out in our backyard for about 2 weeks before moving on. These Cardinal cousins come up from Latin America to do some breeding in Wisconsin's forests; they are happy to stop off at feeders and eat black oil and striped sunflower seeds. Their call is almost Robin-ish, and we eagerly await their return.

Male Oriole goes for the jelly.

Baltimore Oriole: We had orioles come visit for the first time last year. They visited for a little over a week in mid-May before moving on. During that time our Oriole feeder contained nectar, held orange wedges, and had spoonfuls of grape jelly. They didn't seem to take much to the nectar, but they did seem to enjoy the grape jelly. They nearly polished off a jar of the cheap stuff purchased at our local grocery store. Last May, the weather was fairly warm, so I made sure to clean the feeder at least every other day to prevent mold growth in the nectar. Our feeder is also suspended from a large ant moat to prevent insects from accessing the sugary treats.

This House Wren snagged a spider in the garden.

House Wren: Our summer wouldn't be complete without the House Wrens starting a family in our yard. Since putting up the bird house 2 years ago, we've had Wrens nest in it each year. They spend a lot of time foraging for insects in our wildflowers and regularly chastise me when I go into the garden. In the morning, they sing from the telephone wire which passes over the bird house and garden. They are rather talkative, sort of funny looking little birds, but their presence really brings the yard to life.

Which birds are you still waiting for?