Songbirds are back
in the blossoming hawthorn –
a warble, a trill and then
they are airborne.
Early in March,
it’s wheatears, or ‘white arse’,
with sand martins not far
behind.
Chiffchaffs will follow
but the true sign
of burgeoning spring
are the swallows.
Kim M. Russell, 10th March 2026
De hosted the dVerse Poets Pub Monday Quadrille yesterday, those poems of precisely 44 words, including one word provided by our host. This week, bird is the word.
I really enjoyed the quotes from Maya Angelou and Victor Hugo, and the Emily Dickinson poem.
I’ve been staying with my daughter, and the bare bones of my quadrille came into my head when I couldn’t sleep – I was on her sofa bed – and I’ve just managed to finish it.
writing in north norfolk 
Love this!
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Thank you, Melissa!
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Our swallows are busily nesting across the pond. Smiles. I am so enjoying all the bird poems.
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Me too, Sherry.
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Love this, Kim. A very enjoyable Q~
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Thank you, Jennifer.
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Delightful to be introduced to your birds! (We do have swallows in Australia, but not those others.)
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I love the sounds Australian birds make, Rosemary. I wish I could have visited Oz. My daughter did and she loved it. One of my best friends emigrated in 1980 and I would love to visit her.
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I have a spare bed (hint, hint).
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Aren’t bird names poetical and wonderful and magic? And don’t even get me started on their group names. I love this, Kim.
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Thanks so much, De!
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Bravo for the return.
Can you imagine day in day out, January to December i wake to birdsong.
much love
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I love how you measure spring’s progress by the types of birds you see. 💙
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