In a note to a friend, Emily Dickinson wrote, “I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven.”
March through May is the annual spring migration for many birds returning to northern climates. The Methow Valley provides a lush corridor with alpine forests, wetlands and meadows.
I sat on the edge of a meadow in the lower valley this weekend and opened the Merlin bird app on my phone. Over a dozen songbirds were identified: The Cassin’s finch, mountain chickadee, yellow-rumped warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, robin, starling, junco, Say’s phoebe, Townsend’s Solitaire, spotted towhee, western bluebird, mourning dove, and a few more.
At Sunny M Ranch, Daniel Senner of the Methow Conservancy placed an acoustic recorder to record birdsong. The device captured nearly 50 different species of feathered friends. A full list can be found in the April newsletter posted on the Methow Conservancy website, https://methowconservancy.org.
A kestrel watches the world go by from a Nice Nests nesting box created by Patrick Hannigan.
The Methow Conservancy produces the Methow Valley Field Guide — a waterproof, fold-out guide with full color illustrations of flora and fauna found in the valley. On the back is a trail map of local trails perfect for family day hikes and birdwatching. The guide can be purchased at valley shops that support local causes.
We can support the spring bird migration by being mindful of turning off the lights at night. Most songbirds migrate at night, navigating their journey by star patterns and the rotation of the sky.
During peak bird migration months in spring and fall, the National Audubon Society encourages people to turn off outdoor lighting at night. The Methow Dark Sky Coalition offers useful ideas for home lighting that also protects our dark skies: www.methowdarksky.org/.
Another way to support birds and create a unique gift is to make birdseed bells. To make three bird bells, you will need three small terracotta pots, garden wire, 12 egg whites, six cups wild birdseed, and oven bags. Preheat oven to 250˚F and line terracotta pots with oven bags.
Beat egg whites until fluffy, and stir in birdseed. Press birdseed mixture into lined terracotta pots. Cut a length of wire for each pot, six inches longer than the height of the pot. Twist one end of each wire into a loop. Insert the straight end of the wire into the seed mixture and through the hole in the bottom of the pot. Bend the looped end flat against the seed mixture.
Place pots in oven on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes until seed mixture is firm. Remove bells from oven, and while pot is still warm, invert and remove seed bell. Pull the wire through the top of the bell and bend the straight end of the wire to create a loop to hang from a tree limb.
On Sunday, April 26, the Methow Valley Interpretive Center presents “Kestrel Chronicles: Tracking the Lives of North America’s Smallest Falcon,” with speakers Kent Woodruff, Richard Scranton and Stu Smith. Details of the event can be found at www.methowvalleyinterpretivecenter.org/.
