Housefinch

For many years, I’ve kept track of (and reported here) my first hearing of a full house finch mating song. The past five years, I’ve been delinquent, as I figured this post was truly just for my own record keeping and I’d started recording the date in my nature journal that I started in 2012(ish). But I’ve decided to keep the reports current here too, just in case someone else finds them interesting. 

The first song seems to come down to weather. Stretches of warm, sunny weather in late December and early January make earlier songs more likely. More traditional winter weather, and it is later. And I make a point of getting out often, so it doesn’t just come down to my not being outside as often in “real” winter weather.

Notice that in the 2020 mating season (which, maybe I should stop labeling them with calendar years, but I don’t know what I would use!), I actually heard the first song on Dec 30 of 2019! I had a feeling this was going to happen some time. 

But enough of the background info. For this year, I heard the first song….

Jan 4! 

Here are my results from past years:

2020: Dec 30, 2019 (there was a particularly early bird that season!)

2019: Jan 7

2018: Jan 11

2017: Jan 13

2016: Jan 28

2015: Jan 23

2014: Jan 2

2013: Jan 17

2012: Jan 3

2011: Jan 3

2010: Jan 19

2009: Jan 12

2008: Jan 8

2007: Jan 15

2006: Jan 15

2005: Jan 23