The first Rufous Hummingbirds, 2 males, showed up in my garden yesterday: South bank of Putah Creek, 3 miles west of Davis. Red-shouldered Hawks are back at their nest from last year in a cottonwood tree on the bank of the creek directly behind our house. A second pair is building a nest a third of a mile further upstream where a pair of Red-tailed Hawks is refurbishing their nest from last year a bit further downstream. White-breasted Nuthatches, always among the early breeders around here, have reoccuppied a nest box from last year and are already sitting on eggs. Black Phoebes are finishing a nest on the north side of our house (their usual spot) and the first House Finch nest is near completion on the beam of our back porch. House Wrens are singing vigorously, Northern Mockingbirds are chasing each other and are beginning to sing, California Scrub-jays have paired up and are tentatively picking up some nesting material, but so far with little urgency. Quite wonderful to witness all this activity in the environment of unfolding spring.
