A FLICKER of Hope: April Programs

Are you ready to get CLOVER the pandemic? We have just the THICKET…

As April moves is, people like to make VEERY funny jokes, and even we couldn’t HERB our enthusiasm. This may sound like a bit of OSTRICH, but our April line-up is POULTRY in motion. Join us for one or more of these EGG-citing programs – you’re sure to have a HOOT!

Be a trailblazer in your own yard.
Join Garden Director Mathew McDowell for his new Virtual Workshop: Landscape Alternatives and you’ll learn the benefits of doing something different. We often see the same plants used over and over in landscaping, with reason. They’re tough, attractive, and low-maintenance. But these plants can come with a hidden cost. For the most part they haven’t evolved in concert with local wildlife, and more and more we’re seeing them replace our native plant communities. This workshop will cover common landscaping plants known to become invasive, their environmental impacts, and more eco-friendly alternatives.
Friday, April 9, 12:00pm. Registration required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713. A Zoom link will be emailed to participants in advance of the workshop.

Take your birding up a notch with finesse!
It will be easy and fun to learn how to identify birds when you register for our Birding 101 Workshop and Birding ID Tutorial. First, we’ll have a virtual session during which naturalist Tait Johansson will show you what to look and listen for using photos, slides and videos through Zoom. Follow that up with an in-person tutorial the following day at Bylane Farm (our headquarters) where Tait will guide you in identifying the plethora of birds in our sanctuary using your new-found skills. We’ll look for early April migrants like Eastern Bluebird and Field Sparrow. The 2-part event is perfect for new birders (including kids!) or for those who want to further their skills.
Saturday, April 10, 11:00am – Birding 101 Virtual Workshop: Cost: Free. Registration required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713. A Zoom link will be emailed prior to the workshop.

Sunday, April 11, 8:00-9:30am – Birding ID Tutorial: Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Registration required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713. Registration is limited and priority will be given to participants of Birding 101.

Do you want to see a warbler that doesn’t act like warbler?
We’re talking about the Palm Warbler – one that spends time hopping on the ground and wagging its tail up and down! If anyone can spot one, it’s naturalist Tait Johansson as he leads his Third Thursday’s Bird Walk in Katonah. Other mid-April songbird migrants that might be found include Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets and Pine Warblers.
Thursday, April 15, 7:30-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Space is limited and registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713.

Don’t miss your chance to visit an increasingly rare old field/shrubland habitat in search of shrubland-dependent songbirds!
In partnership with Lewisboro Land Trust and the Lewisboro Library, Tait Johansson will lead a local Bird Walk at Oldfield Preserve in Waccabuc. Over 100 species have been observed on the preserve, but we’ll be seeking earlier migrating songbirds like Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow and more. Sign up early as registration is limited, and the event is being cross-promoted with our partners.
Saturday, April 17, 8:00-9:30am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy-moderate. Space is limited and registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713.

Not ready to travel? Take an armchair journey with migrating songbirds from our southern border through the heartland and beyond.
It’s the perfect season for the Bylane Book Club April selection of North on the Wing: Travels with the Songbird Migration of Spring by Bruce M. Beehler. In it, Beehler describes both the epic migration of songbirds across the country and the gradual dawning of springtime through the U.S. heartland–the blossoming of wildflowers, the chorusing of frogs, the leafing out of forest canopies–and also tells the stories of the people and institutions dedicated to studying and conserving the critical habitats and processes of spring songbird migration. Inspired in part by Edwin Way Teale’s landmark 1951 book North with the Spring, this book–part travelogue, part field journal, and part environmental and cultural history–is a fascinating first-hand account of a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Monday, April 19, 7:00pm. Cost: Free. Registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713. A Zoom link will be emailed prior to the discussion.

You’ve probably heard of eBird, but do you know how it is used?
Learn all about it by taking a virtual Behind the Scenes @ eBird tour with Regional eBird reviewers Sean Camillieri and Kyle Bardwell. You’ll get a peak behind the curtain at eBird to show what happens AFTER submitting an eBird bird sighting checklist. How are checklists reviewed and shifting populations of birds across the seasons tracked at eBird? How we can use eBird even better to keep track of the birds we see? How can you get even better at bird ID by using ebird.org? We’re proud to partner with Saw Mill River Audubon and Bronx River – Sound Shore Audubon to bring you this event.
Tuesday, April 20, 7:00pm. Cost: Free. Registration for this Zoom event is required through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/147889737185.

Spring is the perfect time to learn how to be a great host…
In your yard, of course! Join Garden Director Mathew McDowell for a Virtual Workshop: Hosting Etiquette where you will learn how to help butterflies through gardening. Planting milkweeds for Monarchs is well-established, but they’re not the only butterflies that depend upon specific plants. This workshop covers many of the native butterflies you might see in your garden, their natural histories, and what you can plant to help attract and sustain their numbers.
Wednesday, April 21, 6:00pm. Cost: Free. Registration required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713. A Zoom link will be emailed to participants in advance of the meeting.

The Eastern Hemlock is one of the best wildlife shelter trees in the US, and many birds depend on it for winter survival and nesting.
When you join Naturalist Tait Johansson on a Nature Hike at the William Clough Preserve in Brewster, you’ll walk through a mostly-hemlock forest! Putnam County’s Clough Preserve and Ice Pond area hold a nice variety of breeding birds and spring migrants. We’ll be on the lookout for Wood Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk, Virginia Rail, Blue-headed Vireo, Black-and-White Warbler, many others.
Tuesday, April 27, 8:00am-12:30pm. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy-Moderate. Space is limited and registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” – Tait Johansson
Join Tait for Migration Madness on Maple Avenue in Katonah as the migration floodgates start to open. It’s the perfect time to look for Louisiana Waterthrush and many other warbler species before the trees leaf out.
Thursday, April 29, 7:00-9:00am. Cost: Free. Level of Difficulty: Easy. Space is limited and registration is required by emailing Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or by calling 914-302-9713.