As fronts from the south continue to bring the warmth of spring to us, they are also bringing with them birds. Many species like red-winged blackbirds and common grackles showed up weeks ago. But most migrants are just beginning to arrive and just this week I heard my first yellow-bellied sapsucker and ruby-crowned kinglets of the season. And while the major influx of warblers and other neotropical migrants (early arriving species such as yellow-rumped warblers and palm warblers are starting to show up) will be coming in May, now is the time for sparrows to bring spring to the North Country.

I have kept a small group of dark-eyed juncos and two white-throated sparrows at my bird feeders all winter, but their numbers have been steadily growing the past few weeks. Good numbers of both species are now common across the region, and they are enjoying the seed which I lay across the ground beneath my feeders. If you want to attract sparrows to your yard it is good to note that while some species of sparrows will feed at bird feeders, most prefer feeding on the ground or on an open platform feeder. In addition, using mixed bags of seed which include white millet are generally best for attracting sparrows.

Chipping Sparrow yard
Chipping sparrows have returned to the area and are once again feeding in my yard.

Song sparrows are the first arriving sparrows on the scene each spring, and they have been feeding in the yard for the past few weeks. But this week the sparrow diversity continued to climb with other arrivals. Chipping sparrows – common summer residents here in the Adirondacks – have made their first appearance in my yard, adding their trilled song and chip notes to the loud singing of the juncos.

And by making a nice spread of seed and attracting such common species to my yard, I'm also drawing in less common transients to the area as well. I found the season's first fox sparrow – a large sparrow which breeds in the boreal forest to our north – earlier this week. The bird was fun to watch as it vigorously raked the ground with both feet turning over soil and leaves to reach trapped seeds. I've tried to emulate their two-footed hop and raking action, but almost fell on my face. I usually find fox sparrows passing through each spring and fall, and more are undoubtedly on the way.

The day after finding the fox sparrow, I had a first for my yard – a vesper sparrow – a species which can be tricky to find in the region. Vesper sparrows breed in open country – preferring low grass with some bare patches of ground – and such open habitats are not common in our region. And, while they occupy a wide range across North America, they can be difficult to find in the east as farmland gets converted to housing developments or shrubs and forests take back over old pastures. As a result they are listed as a Species of Special Concern in New York State, where they are most commonly found breeding in central and western New York. As such my vesper sparrow was a nice find, and I snapped photos through the window while I had a chance to get some. I saw the bird on and off again the rest of the day.

vesper sparrow - yard
This vesper sparrow was a nice find in my yard this week. Vesper sparrows are a Species of Special Concern in New York State. Note the white eye-ring, and you can just see the white outer tail feathers which are more easily seen in flight.

And while I do not know if the vesper sparrow is still in the neighborhood or not, it will certainly move on and quickly be replaced by other species. Species such as savannah and swamp sparrows are moving into the region, and I am still waiting for my first Lincoln's sparrow to pass through my yard. Lincoln's sparrows breed in the bogs and boreal habitats of the region.

And as the warbler migration ramps up in the beginning of May, white-crowned sparrows will once again descend upon the region on their way to breed up north. Every day can bring with it a new species, which helps make spring migration such a great time of year.