In my backyard I have the regular exotics (starlings, house sparrows).
There are lots of robins, very noisy scolding one another. The cardinals are regulars. When the cherries were out there were lots of grackles (didn't I say this is not blackbird territory? I was wrong). There are a few blue jays. A baltimore oriole pair has returned (there have been nesting baltimore orioles here for 20 years, but I was afraid when we lost some key trees we'd lose the orioles too), although they haven't been quite as visible as previously. I have heard chickadee sounds so they must have finished nesting. I have heard a flicker in the lot behind my house--they nested back there last year but I think have moved a block north (see lost trees, above) this year. The crows call occasionally from the back lot. For the first time I have seen mourning doves in the backyard during breeding season (in fact, they need a room). They've always been in the neighbourhood but I usually only see them in my backyard in migration.
Does anybody else think the blackbird count is high this year?
