I sleep beneath three windows that open onto our backyard. I was greeted this morning by songs of the first House Wren and first White-throated Sparrow of the spring. The wren was singing one short song every four to five seconds for several minutes. The sparrow gave two abbreviated versions of its song, just enough to let me know that it's out there in one of our brush piles. We also have a pair of Canada Geese nesting on a platform in the pond that edges our backyard. The female seems to be in the process of bulding a clutch of eggs. A second pair of geese arrived this morning, glidng over the house and onto the water. All hell broke loose. The resident pair went on the attack. There was much chasing and splashing and honking for about 30 seconds, until the intruders thought better of their decision and left. The photo of the sparrow was taken last spring.