Obviously Spring is the greatest time of year for bird watchers. I knew a medical doctor who would cut back his office hours because there was so much serious bird watching to be done. There are birding festivals all over the country and, in Southeastern Arizona the folks declare an unofficial holiday. And it is all because of the birds. Good old Spring. The Big Event, of course is breeding. But it is not that simple. Migratory birds have arrived and permanent resident birds have begun to be active. It is all triggered by hormonal response to the change in the day length and the weather. Maybe that is what happened to my kids when they were teenagers. The stage is set for the annual Ecological Play which features several acts. First act is Territorial formation and defense. This is where the males really show themselves for you. Their colors are most brilliant and they are most visible as they occupy conspicuous places to advertise their real estate and their manliness. This works to your advantage, of course. Act Two is the actual breeding time when a male flaps around and makes as much noise as he can to convince a female that he is in possession of the most wonderful set of genes in the world. This is also a time when females are a bit more visible; they are the drab colored ones. Sorry, ladies. The Third Act features feeding the young activity when both sexes - usually -  are out there gathering food so they can regurgitate it into the mouths of the next generation. Yum. Act Four features the fledging or pushing the young out of the nest. Sometimes this can be interesting as the parents spend a little quality time with the kids. Ah, yes; Spring is the  happy time for birders. After the young are gone the birds are less visible. I have always thought that they kick back and watch Turner Classic Movies. Whatever the reason, late Summer gets to be pretty quiet.

As Summer turns to Autumn the birds start to leave for the South so they can come back and do it all  over again. Hey! It's a living.

Not all the birds will leave, however. Some are permanent residents and will stay around all year. They are not always colorful and they do not display and flap around. But there is one big positive feature of Winter: There are no leaves on the trees and bushes. You can see the birds much better. It's not all that bad. After all, unlike bears, the birds still need to eat to live and that requires a certain level of activity. You might as well bundle up and enjoy them.

This brings up the subject of bird feeders. Now, oddly enough, birds have survived for millennia without human interaction. We have somehow gotten the notion that "our little featured friends" cannot survive without bird feeders. Of course they can. You must remember that death is a healthy part of a species natural history. Only the best birds will survive a long cold winter, but isn't that the point? If I may be a bit Darwinian here, I have to say that a species - any species - becomes progressively more healthy in the deaths of the less adaptive individuals. However, I have set up and enjoyed many bird feeders. Feeders are most interesting and most valuable during the breeding season when the bird burn huge amounts of calories with territorial behavior and reproduction. A minimal amount of feeding will give you enormous returns of bird activity with little, if any, impact upon the natural nature of bird cycles. The more urban your setting is, the less of an impact you would make anyway. Use bird feeders sparingly and use them well. You will have many happy hours being entertained by the birds.

OK, time for a word of wisdom. Spring is the best time to watch birds and you should plan your sick days accordingly. However, there are no bad times for a bird watcher if you understand life cycles.