The season has begun - birds flying into your window panes, woodpeckers drumming on your house, and birds' songs awakening you as they call to their prospective mates. So what are we humans to do?

The bird that keeps crashing into your window thinks the grand reflection it sees is a bird intruding upon its territory. To keep birds safe and windows protected, place decals on the window to break the reflection or cover the window's exterior with a non-reflective material.

The woodpecker's drumming on your house can really set nerves on edge. The drilling may be for one of several reasons: making a nest cavity, searching for insects in the wood siding, or creating noise to attract a mate and establish a territory. To discourage this behavior, use a commercial spray that repels woodpeckers, or hang strips of shiny foil or the like that will flutter and make noise that wards off birds. You can also shoot a jet of water at the woodpecker or make loud noises yourself to deter the pecking.

When it comes to that chirping and calling as dawn breaks, you may just have to close your window to protect YOUR territory. On the other hand, one can embrace the early morning serenade as a sure sign that spring has sprung.

How well I remember the Carolina wren that once nested above my door. I had to forego using that door until the babies had fledged. This leads to a good reminder: we cannot control everything and nature has its own ways. If we are graced with an abundance of birds in our yard, we would do well to be tolerant and accept inconvenience with the good -- hmmm, getting along and living in harmony in our own backyards!