White-throated Sparrows are Singing!

 

Snow is blowing past my window right now. Earlier today I brought all the houseplants I took outside last week back in because it's going to freeze here tonight. And tomorrow night. And the next. It is helpful in the face of the continued cold weather to review our evidence of spring. I give you the white-throated sparrow. I heard them singing this week! Click to enlarge.

White-throated sparrows are ready to breed right now and the males are singing to attract mates. It's a guarantee that spring is on track out there even though it's not picnic weather yet. The song is an attention-getting series of whistled notes that you may have heard lately. Click on this sentence for a nice You-Tube video performance. Birdwatchers use this mnemonic to help remember the rhythm of the syllables in the white-throated sparrows's song: Old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody.