June 18

The birdsong has quieted somewhat in the morning pre-dawn now that so many have gone to nest. Our little wrens must be getting close to hatching, and then the racket will start anew all day long. Wren chicks are particularly insistent, calling stridently from within the box, while mother and father busy themselves endlessly going out to forage and back again.

The robin chicks fledged two days ago. In the morning, I peeked within the burning bush when mother was away, and two babies sat quietly looking at me. The two barely fit in the nest, and it’s a wonder that they could get any rest inside. By the afternoon, I looked in again, and they were gone. I wonder if one of these two fledglings will return next year.

Finches, catbird, oriole and grosbeaks have become less frequent; the latter two may be leaving soon for the higher elevations of the mountains to spend the summer.

It isn’t all quiet in the morning, as the cardinals, doves and woodpeckers are fine with announcing themselves. Even the blue jays seem to be returning more frequently now.

It is the night which is becoming more active, with the sound of crickets and grasshoppers calling, and the occasional dove or owl thrown in the mix.