Birding

Where Are You Birding This Fourth Weekend of April 2014?

April 24, 2014 by Mike 2 Comments

Keep your eyes peeled for all kinds of migrants, even Manta Rays!

Spring in the northern hemisphere is the time that the swallows come back. Indeed, La Fiesta de la Golondrinas was celebrated in San Juan Capistrano a month ago, but those swift aerialists have yet to infiltrate the northernmost reaches of their territories. If you’re still waiting for your first swallow of spring or bidding farewell to your last one of fall, find comfort in this bit of verse, Paraphrase on Anacreon: Ode to the Swallow by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

Thou indeed, little Swallow,
A sweet yearly comer.
Art building a hollow
New nest every summer.
And straight dost depart
Where no gazing can follow.
Past Memphis, down Nile!
Ay! but love all the while
Builds his nest in my heart,
Through the cold winter-weeks:
And as one Love takes flight.
Comes another, O Swallow,
In an egg warm and white,
And another is callow.
And the large gaping beaks
Chirp all day and all night:
And the Loves who are older
Help the young and the poor Loves,
And the young Loves grown bolder
Increase by the score Loves—
Why, what can be done?
If a noise comes from one.
Can I bear all this rout of a hundred and more Loves?

I’m working all weekend but hoping arriving birds migrate in my general direction. Corey cannot be contained during this time of transition: expect him virtually anywhere in the New York Metro area. How about you? Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? Share your plans in the comments below.

Whatever your plans this weekend, make time to enjoy SkyWatch Friday. Also be sure to come back Monday to share your best bird of the weekend!

Written by Mike
Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.