Here in Mill Creek, spring has a special sound. The migratory birds arrive in late April to early May, and morning and evening are layered with the songs of many species.
Woodpeckers, robins, wrens and finches come first, followed by jays, mockingbirds and doves.
Some nights the calls of nightingales may be heard.
Woodpeckers find many acorns here, and their creaking calls alternate with the sounds of them drilling holes in nearby pines. They flash brightly through the trees, red and black and white.
Early mornings before the light begins to fill the skies, while the stars are still visible, are the times to hear doves. Their soft cooing all around is a grand and soothing sound of peace and harmony.
Quail rush about in the smaller bushes, making small peeping sounds, and fluttering away at the smallest disturbance, with a low burst of sound.
Pigeons in great flocks are in the higher branches. When a flock of a hundred or more takes off all at once, a whole area of trees is filled with their darting shapes and the beat of their wings.
At the same hour, wild turkeys call to one another seeking mates. Late spring evenings are sometimes filled with the piping sounds of many birds all over the hills, sounding sequentially in ascending and descending scales.
And the owls also make their voices heard. There are great horned owls which are sometimes of a huge size and live for many years. Tiny elf owls also nest here.
Jays call out with wide-ranging cries, sharp or open in the notes, depending on the message. they may come singly or in groups. the stellar jays make a lot of vocal impact, but the scrub jays are silent for the most part.
Hawks, eagles, and crows each have a say in things. The birds of prey fly high up and their cries echo throughout the area. Sometimes a group of eagles will circle the canyon, flying in formation and occasionally calling out.
A pair of condors nests in the canyon. They sometimes come out for a flight, startling in their enormous size.
Some days a flock of finches or canaries will stop in, filling an entire tree with bright calls and beautiful melodies. Their ascending and descending songs are delightful in syncopation.
The occasional wild parrot comes through and speaks for a few days in sounds like those of a small horn. Then one day it is gone again.
Swallows nest here, hummingbirds, and many more kinds of birds. The season of bird song is magical and wonderful.
