Winged Wednesday - Birds Arriving in April

Around our yard, April is the month of the Sparrow.

Understanding that other birds are arriving in April, our yard in April tends to fill up with Sparrows. Other birds start to fill in more in May when warmer weather is assured.

In April, we see a variety of different kinds of Sparrow. Of course, there is never escaping the House Sparrow who doesn't flee even the harshest winters, but in April, we welcome Chipping Sparrows, White Throated Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows, and Song Sparrows.

The White Throated Sparrows seemed particularly interested in our compost.


While the White Crowned Sparrows foraged around the shrubs.


And the Chipping Sparrows spent their time in the grass.

In the end, only the Chipping Sparrows stayed around in the yard all year. By the end of May, both the White Crowned and the White Throated had left. Alas, our yard was just a pitstop on their migration further north. The Song Sparrows could be found nearer the neighborhood pond all summer long and only returned to forage in the yard in the fall before leaving for the winter.

Other Noteworthy Visitors

We had some other interesting visitors last April too. The Mallards return to local pond in March, hoping it has already defrosted. By April, they meander the neighborhood looking for a nest site. Last year, our yard was closely inspected but not selected.Mr. and Mrs. Mallard spent around an hour early one Sunday morning in the garden, in the compost, in the lawn just milling around. I'm certain they had a lively discussion about the type of neighborhood they wanted their ducklings to grow up in, if only they had met our beagle.

Mallard Drake surveys the yard. His partner was already making her exit.

And we had an Easter Phoebe come visit us a few times in April and early May, but come summer, we didn't see it again.

April is always a fun month in the yard. It sees our winter guests stocking up before departing for the year, and sees a host of others stop to refuel. Mornings where the yard is full of Purple Finches, Sparrows, and Dark Eyed Juncos are good mornings. April is only two weeks away, and I"m looking forward to the lawn being filled with little brown birds breakfasting in the morning as I sip my coffee.

What April visitors are you looking forward too?