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First cardinal of the season

By adamg on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 3:08pm

Anali snaps a harbinger of spring.

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Comments

By fred02742 on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 3:51pm.

Uh, sorry, but the cardinal is a winter resident. They're here throughout the year.

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By Lanny Budd on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 4:43pm.

We have cardinals at the feeder year round. According to http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=343,

"Cardinals are not migratory. Their bright plumage brings color to our yards during the winter when many other species have flown south."

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By merlinmurph on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 6:14pm.

I'm not much of a birder - what bird would be a good sign of spring?

Saw a pair of eagles today at Wachusett Reservoir (again, not exactly a sign of spring....)

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By BikerGeek on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 7:04pm.

People often say that the robin is a harbinger of spring but there are robins that winter in New England so that doesn't really work either.

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By Allstonian on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 7:29pm.

It seems as though I only see downy woodpeckers in my neighborhood in the early spring.

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By NotWhitey on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 8:19pm.

The first migrant to show up is generally the red-winged blackbird, though you won't see them if you don't live near suitable habitat. They should be in the area right about now. They're not a sign of spring, but a sign that spring is just around the corner.

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By Lanny Budd on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 8:57pm.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

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By ken on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 4:48pm.

I was expecting a picture of Bernie Law in a jester's hat!

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By Allstonian on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 5:32pm.

Yep, cardinals are year-round. There are a couple of pairs in my neighborhood in Allston.

Saw a hawk over Ashford Street this afternoon - that was cool!

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By EM Painter on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 9:51pm.

Have you seen a big big black bird-of-prey at the Charles? I think it was a bald eagle. I also saw a big unusual seabird down there last week.

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By ken on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 10:24pm.

Fenway to Mt Auburn cemetary is a stretch of a major N.E. flyway; plenty of water, good forage, nesting/hiding places etc. You want some good viewing, go take a stroll through Mt Auburn. All sorts of stuff lives in there. Plan on spending some time in there; it can take a couple of days to find all the nooks and crannies. And no, Mary Baker Eddy does not have a phone in her tomb. :-)

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By Courtney on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 6:18pm.

He was a pretty speck of red at the top of a tree, and he sang his traditional cardinal song. "Doo-WEEP doo doo doo doo doo." (Or, one of his songs, I suppose.)

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By BigTom on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 8:10pm.

A true harbinger of Spring would be the Baltimore Orioles, not the cardinal or the robin.

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By Stevil on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 7:14am.

Are you speaking of the ones that carry bats? That's a pretty good sign of spring. Personally I love baseball, but my favorite sign of spring is when the Green Jacket returns to Augusta, GA.

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By Livefromtuscany on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 6:03am.

The beauty of the cardinal is seeing him against the white snow! So definitely not for spring, though I'm sure they are around in spring as well.

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By NotWhitey on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 3:38pm.

Grackle!

First migrant of the year for me, and right on schedule.

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