The birds wake me almost every morning, sometimes its nice, sometimes not so nice. I saw my first flock of Robins out on a lawn yesterday, not all that many, just a small flock of 50 or so. Soon there will be hundreds in the flocks on the lawns everywhere.

Hi Annie,
I've noticed, too, that the birds are more active. And early in the morning I've heard them singing. Winter is just so blasted long .... sigh.
If you can, post a photo of the obelisk you made. Sounds interesting.
Stay warm,
Jane

I think it's a European legend that the birds find their mates on Valentine's day, but I know from keeping chickens that birds are very sensitive to day length. I always expect my hens to slow down the egg laying around Halloween and then start it back up around Candlemas. No robins here yet, Larry....but I expect to see a couple in a few weeks. (That and our real harbingers of spring: Turkey Vultures). Once you see the vultures hovering around, you know it's spring! San Juan Capistrano has swallows; Waynesboro has vultures.

The Turkey Buzzards are year round members of the road cleanup crew down here.