Early spring creeping into Vermont. ©Kent McFarland
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In April, the northern forest is laid bare with cold desire. Our long-dormant senses awaken. The sweet smell of soil rises to our noses, carried by the ultralight spores of Streptomyces bacteria launched into the air by the impact of raindrops. Our ears cock skyward at dusk as a Woodcock chatters and twitters above. Spring Peepers burst forth in the evening, with up to 4,000 peeps an hour. Blades of wild leeks slice through autumn's soggy, brown remains to release sweet-onion perfume. Bright white Hepatica opens for wild bees and provides a feast for our eyes. The smell of smoke can fill the air. For a short time before the forest turns green, fires can quickly run through the understory. April leaves none of our senses void. Here’s our guide to some of the joys this month brings.
Click here to read the full field guide to April.
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A Garden Guide for Native Bees
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A Mason Bee (subgenus melanosmia) ©Nathaniel Sharp
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As people begin planning their gardens for the warmer months of the year, VCE often gets a flood of pollinator questions. Now, you can all have some answers with this convenient guide! We cover where to buy your plants, whether or not you should buy bees for your garden, and more. Read the guide here.
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VCE at the Northeast Natural History Conference |
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Bloodroot in full bloom ©Kent McFarland
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VCE will be attending the Northeast Natural History Conference in Burlington this year from April 21st-23rd. We have several staff members presenting posters, leading workshops, and giving talks at the event. Be sure to check them out if you're attending!
Data Scientist Mike Hallsworth will be leading a workshop focusing on using community science observations to inform conservation decisions
Communications Director Emily Anderson will be on a panel talking about bioacoustics and population estimates.
Biologist Spencer Hardy will be giving a presentation on two genera of native bees, minors and nomads.
Finally, VCE Executive Director Susan Hindinger will be closing out the event by talking about the Vermont Atlas of Life and mapping biodiversity.
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Get Ready for Our Annual Biothon! |
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A Barred Owl. ©Kent McFarland
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We want you to join in on the fun!
VCE's annual fundraiser, Biothon: Wings over Vermont, will take place from 5 p.m. May 24th to 5 p.m. May 25th. The entire staff will be spending the time in Groton State Forest. We will be looking for anything with wings, and adding it to our Biothon observation list.
How many species do you think we'll get? We will be keeping an iNaturalist list that will update throughout the day. Please join us by going out and logging some species of your own! More details to come.
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Green Darners Begin Their Spring Migration |
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A Green Darner ©Nathaniel Sharp |
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Like birds, millions of dragonflies migrate north in the spring and south in the fall. Dragonfly migration occurs on every continent except Antarctica, with some species performing spectacular long-distance mass movements. We know that Common Green Darner migration closely follows the average daily temperature of 48°F northward. Will climate change shift the species' migration and arrival dates? Help us to better understand their migratory routes and timing by joining the Northeast Darner Flight Watch. Check out your area on a live map of arrival predictions and darner observations.
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A White-throated Sparrow. © Michael Sargent |
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The next Suds and Science event will take place both in-person at the Norwich Inn and online on May 2nd. The featured scientist this month is Dartmouth College Ph.D. student Kaitlin McDonald, who will be discussing tick populations and how the ecology of ticks has been misrepresented on social media. Find out more about Suds and Science here, or register to attend online here.
VCE biologist Spencer Hardy will be giving a talk about how to attract bees to your yard or community on May 4th in person at the Fairlee Public Library. See details about the event here.
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Photo-observation of the Month
by Craig Hunt
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A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks exhibit a “Probable” Breeding Code, in this case, “C – Courtship, Display or Copulation.” © Craig Hunt |
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Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the March 2023 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His photo of copulating Red-shouldered Hawks received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
While it may not feel like it some days, spring is in the air, and with every minute of lengthening daylight, bird courtship will continue to ramp up. Some species start early, like the Great Horned Owls that are sitting on eggs in the Vermont woods as early as February. Others, such as these Red-shouldered Hawks, begin the process of starting a family a little later, with courtship and copulation taking place in late March and early April. During multi-year breeding bird atlases, such as the Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas or the recently wrapped up Maine Bird Atlas, special codes are used to note different types of breeding bird behaviors, and even outside of atlases these codes can be used as a valuable tool to learn more about breeding birds. These include everything from a male and female Northern Cardinal hanging out in a yard together (P – Pair in Suitable Habitat) to a Carolina Wren with a bill full of dried grasses (CN – Carrying Nesting Material) to a chattering tree cavity full of fledgling Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (NY – Nest with Young). To see a full list of these breeding codes and their definitions, click here. Assigning Breeding Codes to birds on a Vermont eBird checklist is more than just a good way to collect data on breeding birds, it is also a great way to focus on the study of bird behavior and to determine what birds might rely on your backyard, your local natural area, or your favorite patch of woods to raise the next generation.
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If you'd like to support VCE's research, monitoring, and community engagement programs, you can do so on our website. Your gifts truly make a difference in our conservation efforts. Thank you!
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The Vermont Center for Ecostudies promotes wildlife conservation across the Americas using the combined strength of scientific research and community engagement. Find us online at vtecostudies.org
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