I've got a sweet momma bird at my house. As I step out onto my deck and look up about 5 feet, I see she's built a nest in the bend of the corner gutter on the house. If I stood directly below it I could reach up and touch it if I wanted. Of course, I won't. I believe her to be a regular sparrow. Mostly grey, some white, some brown. Her body is about 6 or 7 inches long. And she seldom leaves her nest these past few days. I can step outside, look up at her and she at me and she never wavers. I try to send her some "It's alright, I'm a Mother, too" vibes to ease her feathered mind.

A momma bird sitting on her nest; waiting the arrival of her brand new bald, chirping babies. Now, if that's not your sure-fire sign of Spring, nothing is.

**UPDATED: She is actually a Robin. I'd only seen her tail peaking out of the nest and her backside. And sometimes her head looking out at me over the nest scoldingly. But she's an orange-bodied, full on beautiful Robin. Like my sister.