In past years, the grey catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) have left this area before now, but there are several of them still hanging around on my property and in the nearby Gothe State Forest. At first I was thinking that this year’s strange weather and unusually late cold snaps up north were keeping them here. But as the weather is warming up in the north, not only are the catbirds still here, but they are starting to behave in a very territorial manner. They are chasing each others away from food and water resources and there have even been a few minor skirmishes. These are territorial behaviors that I recognize in the cardinals and some of the other resident birds during the spring as they get the breeding season started. The thing is, catbirds don’t breed here, but their breeding range starts just a little further north. I’m hoping that perhaps these birds are planning to stay here to breed this year. I’d love to see some little catbird fledglings! The bird shown here was taking a short break in the quiet woods, but as you can see, it was very alert. It actually wasn’t looking out for predators, but for another catbird that it had been squabbling with all morning. The two of them had been chasing each other around and whenever one tried to relax or get a bite to eat, the other one was dive bombing it from above. I couldn’t help but love that pose as the bird tried to watch from all sides at once.