by David and Pam Durrant ·
Friday, April 10, 2026
As we write this article at the end of March, the ice has left our pond. Earlier in March, when the pond was still iced over, three wood ducks flew around the farm and circled over the frozen pond. Two days later, with the ice starting to disappear, a pair of mallards arrived. Then within several days, a pair of wood ducks and a pair of hooded mergansers landed on the pond. These arrivals happen every year within a few days of each other and never fail to amaze us.
Ducks are one of the earliest migrants to return, along with the male red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and starlings. The red-winged blackbirds, along with the grackles, are devouring the seed we put on our platform feeders. Having plentiful seed available and a wetland where a few nest every year assures us a show of flocks of these birds.
Other signs of spring are a song sparrow appearing under our feeder, turkey vultures flying over, and great blue herons returning to their nests. Much to our dismay, a cowbird is also visiting. Cowbirds are parasitic, depositing their eggs in other birds’ nests. Soon the first wave of warblers will return. They are pine, palm, and yellow-rumped warblers. We usually hear a song before we see the bird so it is helpful with these migrants to go to the Merlin app to refresh our memory of their song.
Our resident flock of about 15 goldfinches are starting to turn bright yellow. The juncos, one of our winter visitors, are still around. They will, according to our records, be departing for their northern breeding ground in the next few weeks. Keep an eye on your feeders as new arrivals will be coming in the next few weeks.
With spring migration, we would like to offer a few reminders.
For those of you with bluebird nesting boxes, now is a good time to go through and clean them out. Chances are they are full of mouse nests, flying squirrel nests, and sand sparrow nests. You can turn everything out as bluebirds will readily build new nests in the next few weeks.
Reconsider your lawn care regime and avoid turf-builder, weed-and-feed chemical treatments for lawns that are so prominently displayed in hardware stores. Many birds depend on lawn bugs for food. You may have recently witnessed dozens of grackles and blackbirds going through the area. They settle in droves on a lawn or an open field and start eating, so please be mindful.
Beware of the negative effects of rodenticides if you are trying to get rid of mice, rats, or any other mammals. Mass Audubon is actively campaigning to restrict use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, which poison raptors, foxes, and other wildlife that consume affected rodents. Try using snap traps or live traps.
Several migratory ground nesting birds are beginning to return. If you walk a dog through the woods or fields, please keep them leashed. Even the smell of a dog can put them off their nesting area. The ovenbird, our largest warbler, builds its nest on the ground. Though a secretive bird, its “teacher-teacher-teacher” call never fails to delight on a walk through the woods.
We will be making the rounds of the local ponds to see what ducks are arriving. Our main stops are the pond at Murray Lane and Stow Road and the Delaney ponds on Eldridge and Finn roads. Ring-necked ducks are usually the first to arrive along with the wood ducks. There can be dozens of the ring-necked ducks on the Eldridge Road ponds. The common goldeneye duck usually follows, and occasionally the more unusual Barrows goldeneye can be found there. The ponds at the Delaney Wildlife Management Area host nesting great blue herons, wood ducks and mergansers.
This is an exciting time of year for bird lovers. Just about every day will bring in new birds and new experiences, so keep on the lookout. One special spring event we eagerly await is the return of the woodcocks. In the evening when we go down to the barn to check on the chickens, we stop to listen for their buzzy “peent” call and look to the wet fields to watch for their aerial courtship flight. We’ve been hearing their call but have yet to see their courtship flight.
David and Pam Durrant live and work at Micheldever Farm on East Bare Hill Road.