Spring migration is in full swing as the plant and insect life blossoms and provides food and shelter for the birds. Spring return dates are farily consistent with previous years (see table below).
Bird Species | First Sighting in 2024 | Previous First Sightings |
Chipping Sparrow | April 29 | April 12, 2022; April 24, 2020 |
Brown Thrasher | April 29 | N/A - New Species |
Chimney Swift | April 30 | May 1, 2023; May 5, 2020 |
White-Crowned Sparrow | May 1 | May 8, 2019 |
Brown-Headed Cowbird | May 3 | March 15, 2021; April 17, 2020; April 18, 2019 |
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak | May 3 | April 29, 2020; May 1, 2019; May 5, 2023 |
Gray Catbird | May 5 | May 12, 2020; May 14, 2019 |
Baltimore Oriole | May 5 | May 4, 2020; May 6, 2023; May 7, 2019 |
We spotted our first ever Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) at Hogsback Acre on April 29th. While this is a first sighting at this location, I frequently see and hear them a few miles away at the Ingham Conservation District property. These are beautiful animals and definitely the closest thing to a velociraptor that I will ever see in my lawn (hopefully).
And in other news, the two wood duck nests on Sycamore Creek were both successful this season. Nesting occurred early this year with the ducklings fledging by May 2nd.
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