April Activity

New migrants have been showing up each week this month. At the bird feeder, purple finches have arrived and the goldfinches are turning bright yellow.

A pair of Purple Finches - the raspberry color of the male differentiates it from the more common House Finch.

The first warbler to arrive in Minnesota is the Yellow-rumped Warbler. It is a larger warbler that has a more varied diet - not totally insect dependent - enabling it to winter further north than other warblers. The yellow-rump eats fruit and berries and will take sunflower seeds and suet at the bird feeders.

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

Birds of prey have been very visible this month. I watched a Red-tail Hawk capture a Wood Duck walking from the pond to the bird feeder.

The Red-tail Hawk struggling with a Wood Duck.

The hawk displaying its red tail as it holds down the duck.

Not sure if the Red-tail was familiar with what it had caught as it did not end up eating or flying away with the Wood Duck.

For the past month, I have been watching a Groundhog that has a burrow by our pond. I don’t know a lot about the lives of groundhogs but I am learning by observing.

I believe this is another male that wondered into our groundhog’s territory and quickly exited the yard.

Cardinals are in active courtship or have started their first nest brood of the season.

And I will leave you with a landscape photo that encapsulates the changeable nature of the month of April: