Together with the first warmth of spring, the birds fly home, to the places of their former summer nests. They return one after another, starting in March and ending in early May.
March brings early thaws to central Russia, and in some places the snow begins to melt. But the time when spring as a full-fledged mistress will go on the earth is still far away. In mid-March, the first birds return from wintering grounds, they arrive with the spring wind, delighting people with their appearance.
Rooks are the first to arrive
Rooks return home after a long winter, starting in the second half of March. In the national calendar, there is a day of Gerasim the rookery - March 17. From this time on, the ground begins to thaw, and the birds have the opportunity to forage, looking for insects.
Rooks immediately start building nests. Old houses fall into disrepair during the winter, so there is enough work for everyone. Birds can build up to 15 nests on one tree. Rooks prepare the place for breeding chicks carefully, constructing them at a height inaccessible to predators.
Rooks' nests have existed for many years, acquiring a bizarre multi-tiered shape. Both parents build houses, and at the end of March or at the beginning of April, the female lays eggs. Chicks are born in 18-22 days, mom and dad feed them for a month.
Grown-up rooks master the sky gradually, at first without flying far from the nests. They then gather in flocks and travel through the fields in search of more varied food.
The rook is omnivorous; it feeds on insects, grains and small rodents. Birds destroy pests, but sometimes damage crops and vegetables. Despite this, everyone forgives the rook, because he is the first spring songwriter.
The beginning of the mass arrival of birds
Starlings follow the rooks, filling the birdhouses that have been empty since winter with hubbub and life. This happens at the end of March. First, males arrive and prepare houses for the arrival of females, driving out uninvited guests. Then the females return, and the new family is engaged in incubating and feeding the offspring.
Then the larks return from the wintering grounds. They begin to settle at nesting sites in early April. Then siskins, finches and linnet fly in. The spring sky comes to life, and the air is filled with the joyful singing of flocks of birds.
The mass arrival of birds in the summer occurs in mid-April and early May. Robins, ducks, geese, and cranes are returning to summer apartments. Gulls and waders also settle in their former habitats.
The return of birds from their wintering grounds makes people happy after long cold weather, gives hope for the best and the feeling that spring will certainly come, followed by a hot summer.
