Wild Life
by Rose Graves
April 8, 2010, page 8.....

First Sounds of Spring

Each spring, as drops of water begin to fall from the eaves, my ears perk up. Moving water heralds a change. The rush of a stream freed from icy constraints or gentle waves of Lake Champlain lapping along the shore are harbingers of seasonal symphonies to follow – the choruses I’ve waited all winter to hear.
The Charlotte spring symphony begins in the mornings as northern cardinals sing their clear, slurred whistles from the treetops – “purdy, purdy, purdy… whoit, whoit, whoit.” These birds manage to survive the cold winter in our part of Vermont and seem to voice the joy that we all feel with the return of warm sunshine. Their renewed activity actually depends less on the warming temperatures and more on length of daylight. As days grow longer, the birds establish territories and sing their courtship songs. The early songs of the cardinal are joined by black-capped chickadees’ familiar songs that sound like their name, the tufted titmouse calling “peter, peter, peter,” and the nasal “yank, yank, yank” of the red-breasted nuthatch, – all of whom have stayed in our area through the quiet winter.
The next section of the spring symphony begins with a loud “conk-a-reee!!” emanating from the lakeshore, cat-tail marshes and the shrubby vegetation around our many wetlands. It is the sound of the red-winged blackbird. This familiar migrant prefers to spend the winter in warmer regions, returning early to set up breeding territories. Early males have an incentive to claim the “best” habitat; they can have up to 15 females nesting in their territories! As days lengthen, other migratory songbirds arrive and add to the concert. Soon we hear the killdeer call its name from fields, as well as the American woodcock’s repeated nasal “peent” and the eerie “whoop whoop whoop” made by the wings of courting snipe. The eastern bluebirds’ soft but melodious “cheer, cheer cheerful charmer” can be heard near nest boxes. Add the percussion of ruffed grouse drumming their wings on hollow logs, and the symphony is in full swing.
In April singing birds are our daytime companions, and amphibians are their nocturnal counterparts, extending the spring serenades into the evening hours. We hear the first frog call “Krak! Krak! Krak!.” Wood frogs have returned to the forest pools where they were born, often sitting in nearly freezing water as they croak their duck-like quacks. Wood frogs breed in these vernal pools after they have dug themselves out of hibernation where they spent the winter, often frozen solid under a blanket of leaves. Soon, the wood frogs are joined by spring peepers, tiny little tree frogs that create a deafening clamor of high-pitched peeps resembling sleigh-bells. How can these little creatures, no bigger than my thumb, make so much noise? Peepers call from under clumps of grass or in crevices, which allows them to both amplify their voices and act as ventriloquists. Finally, as the wood frogs’ songs trail off, the American toad joins the fun with a series of high-pitched, drawn-out trills. All this singing is a courtship ritual, which leads to breeding and egg-laying. After hearing the frog choruses for a few evenings, I like to venture out to a wetland and look for the gelatinous blobs and jewel-like strings of eggs in the water, each unique to the species that laid it.
The dramatically different seasons in Vermont provide excellent opportunities to notice and savor cues that signal the coming shifts. Without the natural quiet imposed by fall and winter, I might not appreciate the exuberant sounds of spring so much. Would the sounds of moving water and birdsong be so welcome to our ears if they hadn’t been absent for some time? Pause to take in the hope and joy of spring this month when you sit on the porch or walk through nearby fields and woods. Think your own spring thoughts as you enjoy the return of the sweet spring melodies of nature’s music.

Rose Graves grew up in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and, after exploring wildlife and nature in various other states, returned to Vermont as a graduate student in the University of Vermont Ecological Planning program. She loves exploring and observing natural phenomenan and is happy to hear about your observations at rgraves@uvm.edu.

Charlotte Conservation Commission collaborates with talented area naturalists to provide WILD LIFE nature notes, helping residents understand and appreciate wild nature close to home. Coordinated by Linda Hamilton and Alicia Daniel. For more information about the Conservation Commission, see charlottevt.org.