Several signs of spring were manifested in the back yard late this morning. Two Downy Woodpeckers seemed to be courting, chasing each other for quite a while from tree to tree, circling the trunks, etc. I know one was a male and assume the other was female. If they weren't in motion, one would be behind a branch or trunk, making it difficult to get a definitive view of both. A male and female House Finch had some deliberate bill-to-bill contact up in a tree, though I can't verify that he passed her a seed, chewing gum, or germs. A cardinal has been singing off and on for a couple of weeks , but today he put on quite a concert. Usually the cardinals eat at the feeder; however, a male left with a black oil sunflower seed. He went out of sight to the corner of the house, but I suspect he presented it to his female. Also present (but only feeding) were two Pine Siskins. Kathy Mock Barberton, OH Summit Co., near Akron Old DeLorme 41, D6 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]