Birds

First Phoebe of 2011

March 20, 2011 by Corey 12 Comments

My first sighting of an Eastern Phoebe each year is, for me, when spring officially begins. I finally got my first phoebe of the year yesterday, Saturday, 19 March, a mere eighteen days after the first phoebe of the season was reported in New York City. I actually ended up seeing two examples of Sayornis phoebe at Alley Pond Park in Queens yesterday and even got a kind of lousy) shot of one to share with you! Spotting my first phoebe is both a relief because winter is over and a letdown because there is only one first phoebe each year and they are never exciting as anticipation makes them seem they should be. Though astronomers will say that today is the first official day of spring I (and now you) know better. Spring is when the phoebes come.

my first phoebe of 2011

Though I am glad that I beat last year’s first phoebe sighting by nearly two weeks, seeing my first on the 19th is exactly average for me. In the last five years I have always seen my first phoebe in March, specifically on the 3rd, 26th, 21st, 15th, and 31st. Average them and you get 19! I guess 2011 will be a standard year of birding for me.

Assuming you live in an area where they occur and don’t winter, have you gotten your first Eastern Phoebe of the year and when? And, if you don’t get Eastern Phoebe or if they winter, what species do you use as your sure sign that spring has arrived?

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Written by Corey

Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.

12 Comments

Audrey March 20, 2011 at 1:15 pm
In Catskill NY I think it was probably the robins. Here in FL I got quite excited a few weeks ago that the mockingbirds were here. Maybe they never left but I didn’t hear any of them sing all winter so was thrilled to hear the “trill” and see him on the antenna.
Audrey March 20, 2011 at 1:17 pm
and PS. my dog is named Phoebe so I see her everyday — all day.
MIke March 20, 2011 at 3:39 pm
heard first one yesterday (central NJ)
Joseph March 20, 2011 at 3:56 pm
I saw my first eastern phoebe of the year today also at Alley Pond Park.
Corey March 20, 2011 at 9:20 pm
I should have mentioned that Larry thinks that Tree Swallows signal spring…who is right? Or are we both correct?
John March 20, 2011 at 9:55 pm
I have not seen my first Eastern Phoebe of the year yet, but I did see my first Tree Swallows yesterday morning. For me, though, the official start of spring is when House Finches start singing in earnest.
Joseph March 20, 2011 at 10:17 pm
“who is right? Or are we both correct?”
I think that both are correct, but the eastern phoebe usually only passes through the NYC area during spring, while tree sparrows nest here and stay over summer. It could be argued that phoebes truly signal spring because when they leave spring is over.
Jochen March 21, 2011 at 5:05 am
Well, there are no colours on this bird. How do you know for sure it’s not a vagrant Eurasian Acrocephalus warbler?
😉
Corey March 21, 2011 at 6:17 am
Shhhh, Jochen, I don’t want the other Queens listers to know!
Ken Januski March 21, 2011 at 8:12 am
Heard my first Phoebe on March 18 at Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Philadelphia. But then saw 4 of them yesterday at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia. The last few years we’ve seen them around March 15. Also saw FOY Tree Swallows and Kildeer at Morris yesterday.
To me they’re all signs of spring. Field sketches of yesterday’s birds are on my blog. For some reason it’s the Kildeer that always convinces me spring is really here. That’s the one I enjoy drawing and painting the most as well. Not to say I don’t agree with you about the pleasure of seeing that first Phoebe.
Carolyn H March 21, 2011 at 9:23 am
My first phoebe appeared on the first day of spring. I wasnt even out of bed yet when it perched and called from a branch right outside my bedroom window.