Back of the Book: Spring in the air

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

Spring is painting North Idaho green, with grass and buds popping up alongside the first crocuses, violets and Idaho trillium sprouts. Still, it hasn’t exactly been a white winter, and so it’s hard to say if this is a typical Idaho “false spring” or if we’re in for an early and unseasonably warm seasonal shift. The birds would know better than us — and their singing seems to herald the return of balmy weather.

During the last few sunny days, I’ve heard the distinct call of Poecile atricapillus, or the black-capped chickadee, which only sings this particular song in spring and summer. You’ve heard it before — a sound like “eeeeee-er-er,” which gives it the nickname the “cheeseburger bird.”

These chickadees have large, round black heads and tiny, fluffy tan-and-white bodies. Unlike other species associated with the warm months, chickadees stay in the area — and in their native homes throughout Canada, Alaska and the rest of the northern U.S — year-round. To survive these harsh climates, they grow thick winter coats and conserve energy by entering a state of regulated hypothermia, lowering their body temperature by 12-22 degrees Fahrenheit. They live off of insects and seeds — many of which they hide in the fall. During that time, the size of the birds’ hippocampuses increase to help them remember where they’ve stored their food.

Though they’re here throughout the year, chickadees save their showy calls for the plentiful seasons when they must attract mates and build their nests. When the forest becomes full of tiny voices calling out for “cheeseburgers,” that means spring is here to stay.

Another sign of the shifting season is the appearance of Turdus migratorius, or American robins. Though they can also stay in North Idaho year-round, these birds predominantly head south for the winter and return only for the breeding season, according to eBird. The red-breasted songbirds are a common sight throughout North America, and spotting one hunting for worms in the lawn is one of the first indicators of spring.

Robins often congregate on mountain ash trees, eating the hardy red-and-orange berries that survive the winter. As they freeze and thaw, these berries can ferment, leading to the occasional buzzed bird. If you see a particularly uncoordinated robin fall from a tree or run into a building, place them inside a bird-sized drunk tank — a warm, dark box lined with a towel — to sober up.

If you’re a fan of these sweet spring songbirds, both chickadees and robins enjoy suet and mealworms, which provide the calorie-dense meals necessary after a lean winter or long migration. Unfortunately, leaving out tasty treats can attract the wrong kind of attention. If, like many old, rural houses in North Idaho, you struggle with mice, leaving out any kind of food source will only feed the problem, whether they climb to the feeder or eat the scraps dropped by birds. For a safe alternative that still benefits our avian friends, but doesn’t attract wasp nests like birdhouses, try fiber “nesters.” These are small cages made from wire or metal fencing and filled with natural fibers like wool, moss, bark strips and cattail fluff, which the birds can draw from to line their nests. You can add a bit of natural food dye to the material to help track where it goes, but remember that these are wild animals, so anything artificial or brightly colored will endanger them.