Starting in late April and into May we look forward to the arrival of the birds that have spent the winter in Central and South America. We check our diary that has noted the arrival dates of migrant species over the past 15 years, so we know when to put out the various feeders we have cleaned and stored for the winter. Our records show that the migrant birds typically show up within a few days of when they have in the past. First out is the hummingbird feeder that we fill with sugar water, and about a week later we hang the jelly feeder and orange-half feeder.
The first returning bird we heard on the farm this spring was the eastern phoebe. We say heard because invariably we hear this bird before we see it. This bird is an insect-eater so it depends on the insects that we have around the farm, which is why we do not spray for mosquitos or other insects that others see as pests.
A male Baltimore oriole (top) and a red-bellied woodpecker enjoy an orange half-feeder. (Photos by David Durrant)
In the early morning of April 29 we heard the distinct call of the Baltimore oriole and then spotted a bright orange and black male descend onto the orange-half feeder. Within three days we had three males and two females enjoying our grape jelly and oranges. At the same time, two catbirds arrived and started feasting on the jelly and oranges.
A little bit later our squadrons of barn swallows showed up, swooping over the fields and pond, devouring insects on the wing. They are returning to nest in the lower level of the barn, as they have for years. We leave the doors to the lower level of the barn open so that the barn swallows have free access. These aerial acrobats are having a hard time because of habitat loss. They typically nest in barns or other protected structures. In our time in Harvard at least eight old barns have been demolished, leaving these wonderful mosquito hunters with few nesting spots. The tree swallows showed up a bit earlier. They will nest in some of the many bird houses we have placed throughout the fields. There are enough boxes so the swallows and bluebirds do not compete for a nesting box.
Chimney swifts and other insect-eaters
Another highflying insect-eater is the chimney swift. They are challenged because they mainly nest in chimneys. A large group of swifts nested in the chimney of the old church in West Acton for years, but a recent renovation removed the chimney and yet another nesting spot was lost. Luckily our neighbors, Connie and Dick, welcome a group of swifts in their chimney. It is always nice to hear their twitter as they wing around the farm. Another insect-eater is the great-crested flycatcher. Again we heard its distinctive trill before we saw it. The great-crested is our largest flycatcher. It invariably hangs out at the very top of trees from where it sallies forth to grab insects.
A few days after the orioles arrived, and much to our delight, two male rose-breasted grosbeaks arrived to feed at our platform feeder, followed two days later by a female. As distinctive as the male is with its black and white plumage with bright red breast, the female is dull brown and could easily be mistaken for a large sparrow or female red-winged blackbird. On further observation, one can see its massive beak, distinct white eyebrow, two white wing bars and faint yellow wing linings. We put out black-oil sunflower seeds that they easily crack with their massive beaks.
Recently, while we were enjoying a warm late afternoon on our terrace with friends, one of them, Simon, saw a bright blue bird eating dandelion seeds on the grass not 15 feet away. David’s immediate response was that it was a bluebird, as we have several on the farm. On closer inspection, we realized it was an indigo bunting. This was terribly exciting as we had never noted this species on the farm before. The indigo bunting spent at least five minutes devouring the dandelion seeds. The next day there were four different species of birds feeding at the same spot. Some people spend money to get rid of dandelions–see what they may be missing!
At home, spotting 49 species
Many people associate spring with warblers. These often colorful birds are a little easier to find when most trees and shrubs are not fully leafed out. Arriving in this area after their overnight flight, warblers hop around in the foliage looking for bugs to feed on. Often one can spot dozens of different species that have put down in trees and shrubs in the early morning after their flight. Some will stay around for the summer, and others will continue north.
You can track migration at birdcast.info and be on the lookout for when different birds arrive in your area. To take advantage of one of these good migration days we got up early one morning and headed to Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, witnessing, on the drive up, a beautiful sunrise. Arriving at Joppa Flats Audubon Center, we met several other keen birders and headed out to the refuge. One of the best areas on the refuge is Hellcat Dunes Loop, where there is an accessible boardwalk winding through the coastal vegetation and tidal flats.
As soon as we parked the car, David heard an eastern towhee and common yellow-throats calling. Walking the boardwalk, we saw ovenbirds, a black-throated blue warbler, catbirds, and chestnut-sided warblers, one of which was taking a bath in a puddle not 6 feet from the boardwalk. Seeing this beautiful bird could have made our day, but we continued down the boardwalk, our group seeing a total of 41 species, including scarlet tanager, Wilson’s warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, magnolia warbler, black-throated green warbler, northern parula, American redstart, and black-and-white warbler, to name a few.
Back home on the following couple of days, we recorded 49 species, which just goes to show what a great area we live in. You can see our complete list if you go to ebird.org and check the list for Micheldever Farm. Our next trip is down to the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge and Bolton Flats, two of the best birding areas in the state, and right in our backyard. How lucky are we!
David and Pam Durrant live and work at Micheldever Farm on East Bare Hill Road.
How to help migrating birds
Here is how you can help birds, both as they migrate and year-round.
- Turn off all your outside lights, especially this time of year when lights can interfere with the migration instincts of birds and pollinators—or even kill them.
- If you are a dog owner, please leash your dog on trails and open fields as a lot of birds nest close to, or on, the ground and can be disturbed or prevented from nesting if they even smell a dog.
- Please do not allow your cat outside. It is estimated that domestic cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion—that is BILLION—birds a year.
