The birds are singing! Spring is here! April has been a time of change for all of us. With coronavirus confining us to our houses and the state of Connecticut temporarily shutting down it has been a stressful time, but a good time to watch the world around us and reflect. While our lives may be on a pause, the world around us isn’t. Spring is here, blossoming around us. Birds are flying, flowers are growing, and the sun is shining.
I have been kind of contained to my house and suburban neighborhood recently so have been able to watch a limited, developed area change. But I definitely have had more time and made a conscious effort to go for walks and see spring come to my town. I doubt I would be as attentive if I was at school and not plagued by COVID19.
Some changes I have noticed:
- The buds on my red maple tree in my backyard have began to turn into leaves. They started green and small and are now red and blossoming. Most of the trees (besides the cherry maples) have buds but are still bare, making it easier for birding.
- The migratory birds in my backyard are crazy! Not just the migratory birds, I see many mating mourning doves and house sparrows but visitors like the white throated sparrow have graced our feeders.
- Here is a list of birds I have seen in April:
- Tufted titmouse
- House Sparrow (male)(female)
- Bluejay
- North- American cardinal (male) (female 4/22)
- Mourning dove
- Chipped Sparrow (preston said)
- American robin
- Cooper’s Hawk (?, chris +preston)
- American Common Crow
- Black capped chickadee
- Song sparrow (4/22)
- Turkey vulture
- White throated sparrow (4/23)
- Eastern towhee
- Canada goose
- American goldfinch
- Have seen the classic yellow male but also a paler almost brown bird with a yellow beak and same wing patterns who I presume to be a female.
- Brown Headed cowbird (female, brown all over) (Male black w brown 4/30)
- Downy woodpecker (4/25) (4/30)
- Mallard Duck (male)
- House finch (4/29)
- European starling (4/30) (?)
Male Cardinal 
Robin 
American Goldfinch 
Song Sparrow 
Female house sparrow 
White-throated Sparrow 
My mom fed up with me birding on a family walk
- We are having lots of small sun showers! I’m not sure how this is a phenological change but it has been brightening up the grass and giving spring flowers the drink they need to grow. Speaking of spring flowers…
- Due to quarantine I have been going on many walks. The first flower I saw were the beautiful purple crocuses. I was overwhelmed with joy to find them blooming. They were then followed by violets then daffodils than dandelions and bluebells.
- We also have a nest of baby bunnies and chipmunks in my backyard! Unfortunately on easter my dogs found 2 week old baby bunnies, we moved and secured their nest and have been able to watch a baby cottontail grow up over the past few weeks. We also have a nest of 4 chipmunks living in the same spot! We frequently see them frolicking with squirrels and birds around our feeders out back. My backyard is like Bambi!
- I have also walked to some woody area and have seen lots of vernal pools flooded and filled with amphibian eggs!
some flowers 
Me enjoying Spring 
a stream near my house- lots of skunk cabbage coming in 
A beautiful sunset outside my house 
Black Squirrel!