Although temperatures reach into the 50's on some days now, nightly lows below freezing means the snow continues to fall. This melt re-freezing pattern should persist for another few weeks, until eventually muddy pools of standing water will become the new normal. One thing that hasn't been normal this spring is the bird sightings. Last year, we would see swarms of redpolls invading the birch canopy or our yard, along with many chickadees. This year, I've seen maybe a dozen redpolls. Sadly, the owl box has so far also been a disappointment. We've seen signs of sporadic occupancy over the past month, but with no male calling during the nights and no female taking up residence yet, I'm afraid this season might be a bust for the boreal owls. Perhaps the pair that bred in our box last year found a more natural home this season, potentially carved out by the hairy woodpecker pictured above. The laying window for boreal owls is still open, but will soon close by early May. Time will tell.
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