It's sugaring time in the Audubon Center Bird-Friendly sugarbush. A sugarbush is the forest, complete with obligatory maples that we tap, that provides us the maple sap we turn into maple syrup. In general it is a quiet time in the sugarbush as many of its avian inhabitants are still off in the south for the winter. That said, there are a number of Sugar Birds that lift our spirits as we go from bucket to bucket gathering sap.

Maybe the first bird to sing this time of year is the Black-capped Chickadee. Its two-note song can be heard in February along with the occasional "Who cooks for you?" of the Barred Owl. Nuthatches with their car-like honking sound and Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?) singing "Peter, Peter, Peter" can also be heard.

As March moves on the Brown Creeper joins the chorus with it high-pitched warbling song. As the sugaring season ends in April and dusk descends over the folks washing the sap buckets, you may get lucky to hear the "peent" of the American Woodcock in the field in front of the Audubon sugarhouse.

All of these are harbingers of the myriad songs, drumming and calls that will soon fill the sugarbush when the sugaring season turns to spring and summer.

Explore bird songs from the Sugarbush: http://www.audubon.org/bird-guide

View photos of this year's Tapping Day: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmdhyxPX