Some robins have returned; the chickadees are pairing up; and some of the Northern flickers are happily drilling on metal chimneys while others sing their little hearts out high in the still-bare poplars.

Nuthatches keep checking out a roosting house we put up a few years ago. When my spouse took it down yesterday to convert it to a proper nesting house, he found two spiders and a scattering of sunflower seeds inside.

The blue jays lie in wait for spouse to bring out the peanuts and scatter them on our shed roof every morning.

The Canada geese are staking out their nesting territory down by the creek in the nearby coulee, on the golf course by the highway, and the manmade lake at the college.

Downy red-headed woodpeckers are pecking on the mountain ashes outside my kitchen window.

I haven't heard the collared doves or magpies recently, but I've heard crows, so spouse will probably be preparing for this summer's battles over our neighbour's backyard elm. (Dozens of crows will roost there if not dissuaded.) I also heard gulls up by the grocery stores in the big box area of town.

Pigeons and other little brown birds are happily pecking around our birdfeeding station. There are red-breasted finches and I think I saw some house sparrows.

I think it's still early for the grackles and mourning doves to be back yet, but hopefully soon.