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Posted in Around the Garden, Wildlife on April 11 2012, by Matt Newman

From here to Pelham Bay Park, and straight on down to Central Park, the kinship of bird watchers is peaking. April and May are something of a pilgrimage holiday for the truly dedicated ornithological set, though few in New York hoof it far from home; they set out with their binoculars, their pens, and their dog-eared notebooks, taking time off from work to travel a scant few miles to the nearest stand of trees.

These dyed-in-the-wool avian aficionados don’t come to the NYBG in spring specifically for the Red-tailed Hawks, or for the Great Horned Owls. Their prize is far smaller. And as prizes go, these birds seem more of an indulgence than the rare and elusive species recorded with fingers scribbling furiously between the lines of a “life list.” Many New York birders–seasoned or green–instead come to see the little puffs of color and song known as warblers.

With the revival of warm weather comes a wave of returning songbirds, threading their way up from their off-season haunts in South America for a homecoming along the Canadian border. New York City becomes something of a rest stop for many of these travelers along the way. And when the first warbler scouts begin to alight in The New York Botanical Garden, raised binoculars are often nearby, hoping to catch sight of a Yellow or Prothonotary warbler.

As quaint as these miniature songsmiths are, the sheer variety of hue and melody makes for quite a show. But I’m not the expert to ask–you would do better to catch up on the specifics of the craze with Debbie Becker’s spring primer from last year’s migration. Her weekly Saturday Bird Walks (11 a.m. at the Visitor’s Center Reflecting Pool!) are a chance for veterans and new faces to the birdwatching game to get together for a guided trek around the Garden, with Debbie’s proven compendium of birding knowledge to keep you on track. But the warblers don’t keep their schedule down to the individual Saturday, so feel free to stop by anytime during the week! Spring is soon to have a soundtrack of a feathered sort.

Photo courtesy of Sue O’Rourke.