Every winter evening, as the sun begins to set behind a woodland to our west, a flock of white-throated sparrows returns to our backyard feeder. Filtering in as pairs or small groups, they scour the ground for fallen seed; often joined by northern cardinals, they are polite birds, not inclined to squabble over the handouts.
After a period of silence through early winter, they have begun to sing during the past week, a response to the lengthening daylight. Their distinctive, homesick tune will increase in intensity over the next several months and, by mid April, they will depart for Canada to breed in the vast Northwoods.
Accustomed to chilly, gray conditions, white-throats are also among the first birds to become active on winter mornings and their song is a welcome serenade on my walk to work. More importantly, it offers reassurance that winter is loosing its grip and that the mild, fragrant days of early spring are on the horizon.
