The first singing American robins are eagerly anticipated every spring. Ten robins were loudly and continuously singing at my house on April 4, on a day where temperatures approached 70 degrees.

If we drink salt water we get thirstier. But not birds. Some birds — albatrosses, shearwaters, penguins, gulls and pelicans — can drink salt water!

There are several species that everyone enjoys seeing in the spring as it signals better weather is coming.

Our spring equinox, the start of the astronomical spring, comes on March 20 at 5:01 a.m. (I have not researched how they come up with the exact to the minute 5:01 time).

Many people are still feeding birds since influential organizations believe that it is safe to feed birds as the bird flu does not commonly infect songbirds.

In a much appreciated sign of the coming spring, red-winged blackbirds have returned. Randy Rynd was the first to report singing red-wings near her Oak Bluffs home on Feb. 22, and since then there have been more arrivals.

Last week, I sat at my desk lamenting the fact that I hadn’t had the chance to get much birding in the past week between work and poor weather.

I have taken down my bird feeders following a recommendation from Brice Boutot, the Edgartown health agent, due to dead birds on the Island testing positive for avian flu.

Spring gets closer as each day passes, and yet it seems strange to be writing about spring after we received four or five inches of snow. But signs of spring are becoming more frequent.

Given the recent dead turkeys found in Edgartown (some of them are being tested for the avian flu) it is prudent to be careful even though the flu has not yet been detected on the Vineyard.