Naturalist Notes: Songs of Spring
In the heart of springtime, Michigan wakes up with a symphony orchestrated by nature herself. As the sun stretches its rays over the lush landscape, a cacophony of bird songs fills the air, turning the serene morning into a lively concert. Like an orchestra, there’s a set sequence to what birds sing first. Robins, blackbirds, and thrushes start in the pre-dawn. These early risers are joined by, wrens and warblers, while sparrows and finches only add their voices when it’s light enough for them to see.
Artwork by Brush & Bark.
These are not just the year-round bird sounds, these are bird songs. Many bird species have a call and a song. The difference between bird songs and calls is, songs are longer and more complex and are associated with territory and courtship, while calls tend to serve as alarms or keep members of a flock in contact.
When first hearing all the different bird sounds it can be hard to pick out one bird from another. A great way to learn is to come up with mnemonics for some of the common birds. I was told that the Black-capped chickadee sits in the trees signing “cheeseburger, cheeseburger” and it has stuck with me ever since. Now, the American robin’s melodious tune sounds like it is singing “Cheerio. Cheery-me. Cheerio. Cheery-me.” One of my personal favorites this time of the year is when I hear “Oh, sweet Canada, Canada, Canada” and I know a white-throated sparrow is near. You might not hear the same “words” as the next person, so you can come up with your mnemonics for the birds songs you hear.
As the day continues, all the different birds in the orchestra get their chance to shine. But they have to share the stage with some other springtime singers, frogs.
Early spring nights are filled with the calls of spring peepers, chorus frogs, and wood frogs. As April fades into May we start to be serenaded by leopard frogs, treefrogs, and toads. As with birds, frog calls have been described in many different ways to help pick out the different species. Spring peepers say their name “peep, peep”, while people say wood frogs cackle like ducks. Most people don’t put words to some frog calls but rather describe them in a way most people would recognize. For example, chorus frog calls are kin to running your fingernail over the teeth of a comb, or leopard frog sounds like rubbing your fingers on a balloon. With all the different frog calls, one thing is for sure, no Michigan frog says “ribbit”.
Artwork by Brush & Bark.
Amidst the flurry of activity in the spring, there is a special moment of harmony when the birds and frogs seem to join forces, their songs intertwining in a natural duet. It’s a magical sight and sound, a testament to the beauty and resilience of the Michigan wilderness.
Submitted by Cathy Wesley, naturalist, April 2024