With snow on the ground and a chill in the air, Saturday did not feel like spring. But the birds at the Arnold Arboretum were singing their spring songs. We found large concentrations of birds near the Visitor Center and around Faxon Pond.
The red-winged blackbirds, all males as far as we could tell, were singing loudly. Common grackles, another sign of spring, checked us out with those freakishly white eyes of theirs.
We saw two pairs of mourning doves with their adorably large eyes.
House finches abounded, especially at the feeder. We saw two of them pluck out last fall’s tulip tree seeds and have themselves a snack.
The Chinese witch-hazel (‘Princeton Gold’) by the vine garden not only looks great, but has a scent similar to that of jasmine.
