April 2020

1  Male American Woodcocks displaying for females; listen for their nasal “peent” sound near dusk, in open areas near wetlands with dense shrubbery nearby.

7  Full Moon.

12 Spicebush in bloom.  Look for this shrub’s pale yellow flowers in the understory of deciduous woodlands before its leaves emerge.

20 Listen for the long, low call of the Pickerel Frog around ponds and lakes.  Given underwater, this vocalization sounds rather like someone dragging a finger across the surface of a wet balloon.

21-22 Peak of Lyrids meteor shower.

25 First big surge of migrant birds from the tropics arriving in our area. Keep your eyes & ears out for returning warblers, orioles, grosbeaks, tanagers, and more!

Photo Credit: Adult Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Brian E. Small