It’s mid-March, the time of year when those winds from the balmy south send many of the migrating songbirds our way, soon to show up in our backyards and surrounding landscapes. One of our favorite woodpeckers to watch for is the Northern flicker. We usually just catch sight of it as it seemingly makes a mad dash through our backyard. Its low, undulating flight pattern is a key giveaway for this species.

“Yoo-hoo, anyone home?” I sing as I gently tap tap on the side of an Eastern bluebird nest box. I want to make my presence known before opening the door so any adults on the inside get a chance to fly out. They don’t mind me as long as I am gentle and move quickly. I’m getting ahead of myself; let me back up a little. The Eastern bluebird is a cavity nester, meaning they use natural cavities, like old woodpecker holes in dead trees, for nesting.

Tax scams are often as predictable as taxes themselves; they reappear each tax season with a slightly different spin, but the central theme is scammers posing as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) trying to trick people into paying up or sharing personal information. Tax scams may start with a phone call and take two primary forms.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced it has 2-year-old oak seedlings available for purchase. The seedlings are from Wisconsin’s Wilson State Nursery and are ready for planting. The seedlings are available because of a high-quality acorn crop and harvest in 2022. While many 1-year-old seedlings were purchased last year, others were grown for another year, resulting in a bumper crop of 2-year-old seedlings.

Looking ahead to 2025, Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc. will present a musical, a comedy and a Christmas-themed youth show at the Nancy Byng Community Theater, 5852 Maple St., Abrams. The three shows are “Godspell” in March, “The Play that Goes Wrong” in May and “A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens Jr.” in December. “Godspell,” directed by Elizabeth Jolly-Haslitt, will be performed March 13-23.

I began my love of birds because of their beautiful feathers and lovely songs, but what keeps me intrigued are all the weird and wonderful things they can do. While touching just the tip of the iceberg, here are a few of my favorites. Crows, pigeons, magpies and mockingbirds can recognize faces and remember which humans are good to them and which are bad. If you are nice to them, they may bring you trinkets as a gift.