APRIL'S AVIAN SYMPHONY — 4/12/02

April is a fickle month. Thomas Wolfe writes of “the luring green sorcery of April” and Robert Frost describes April’s warm sun as making you feel you’re in the middle of May while her chill wind puts you “back in the middle of March.”

But the changeable nature of April is mostly something humans sense. For the birds, the increased daylight and warmth are the all-important perception,over-riding any weather setbacks the month may throw at them. For many of Cape Cod’s breeding birds, April is the month for finding mates and setting up territories, and with that comes a lot of song.

All of our common backyard birds that are going to nest here are in full voice in April. Tufted Titmouse is going “peer-peer-peer” while the Cardinals are wafting their “cheer-cheer-cheer”. Song Sparrows lift their cheery tune from the brushy corners of the yard, whereas from the brush piles comes the ringing song of the Carolina Wren.

If you are fortunate enough to live near a marsh, the unmistakable “conk-a-ree” of the Red-winged Blackbird is hard to overlook. And if you listen closely, you can hear the sharp trill of the Swamp Sparrow coming from the junction of the cattails and shrubs.

If you have a utility right-of-way near you, this is a good time to walk there and listen for a “bouncing-ball” sort of song — the measured trill of the rather inconspicuous Field Sparrow, a fellow with a reddish-brown cap, bright pink bill and plain breast. More walking may bring the sprightly and musical “drink-your-tea” of the colorful Rufous-sided Towhee to your ears. There are pines beside many of the right-of-ways, and from these emanate the liquid notes of the Pine Warblers, one of the quintessential bird songs of April on Cape Cod. And if you are especially fortunate on an early morning walk near some pines, you might hear the haunting, flute-like notes of the Hermit Thrush.

If it’s quiet at dusk, try walking to the fields north of the Crooked Cartway parking area of the Town of Barnstable Conservation area in Marstons Mills. When you get there, listen for the “peent” of the American Woodcock. This is part of this otherwise obscure bird’s courtship display. These somewhat-strange birds also make a variety of wing twittering and whistling noises. At dawn at this same place you might get lucky and “sense” the pulsations of a Ruffed Grouse as he beats his wings at a favorite drumming log.

Even the beaches have song. The Piping Plovers have now returned, and if you listen closely, you may hear the soft, plaintive tooting for which they are named. Much more audible at the beaches is the resounding and raucous “ha-ha-ha” of the Laughing Gulls and the mellow “tu-tu-tu” of the Greater Yellowlegs.

Not only are our resident birds in full song, returning species join in the chorus. Eastern Phoebes have already arrived, and while you may not think their hoarse, emphatic “fee-bee (accent on second syllable) is musical, it is a welcome sound to many of us, one more confirmation that spring is really here. If you have a really keen ear, you may also hear the liquid twitter or cheet notes of the Tree Swallows, handsome blue-green above and white below, as they skim the surface of ponds.

If you don’t believe you can hear a lot of this song, park at the utility right-of way along the west side of the Mashpee River just south of Route 28, and walk a few roads and trails there. I feel quite confident you’ll hear a good many of the birds I’ve named here, plus a few others.So, don’t let the fickleness of April keep you indoors. There’s an avian symphony going on out there. And all you have to do to tune in is to get out there and listen.

And, remember, It won’t be long before everyone hears the beautiful whistle of the Baltimore Orioles, birds with a great following here on the Cape!

While I’m on the subject of birdsong, let me ask if you are familiar with the term mnemonics. In the birding world they are the gimmicks we use to remember bird songs and calls, while phonetics are actually what the bird is saying. For example, pewees say "pewee" and phoebes say "phoebe" so those are phonetics. Barred owls say "who cooks for you," but not really. That's a mnemonic. I think that we all use the two interchangeably. Of course, all of this takes a great deal of imagination and creativity, but that's the fun of it, right?

How many of these mnemonics can you match with the correct bird?

Easy to intermediate level:

1. Tufted Titmouse ......................... a. "yank yank"

2. White-Breasted Nuthatch ................. b. "cheerup, cheerily, cheerily"

3. Carolina Wren ........................... c. "sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"

4. American Robin .......................... d. "peter, peter, peter"

5. Yellow Warbler........................... e. "teakettle, teakettle, teakettle, tea"

Difficult level

1. Black-Throated Blue Warbler.............. a."look-up, over-here, see-me, up-here"

2. Chestnut-Sided Warbler................... b."pee-oo-wee"

3. Red-eyed Vireo .......................... c."I am lazeee"

4. Eastern Wood Pewee ...................... d."wheezy, wheezy, wheezy"

5. Black-and-White Warbler ................. e."pleased, pleased, pleased to meet'cha"

Answers: easy-intermediate: 1d, 2a, 3e, 4b, 5c; difficult: 1c, 2e, 3a, 4b, 5d. How did you do?

Listen to what the birds are saying to get the most out of their songs.