Late April is a heady time in birding – when it comes to spring migration, everything is either happening or just about to happen, or in some case, has never happened before.

Ornithologist Mark Faherty looks at animal tracks on the beach.

Spring, that cold, wet joke played on us Cape and Islands folk, begins in less than two weeks.

It’s piping plover nesting season – and that means a chance to see some amusing mating rituals.

This week on the Bird Report: seeking out the late-March arrivals.

This week on the Bird Report, a bird that can stay on Cape Cod over the winter – with a little help.

For several years we’ve had a vacancy in a small, detached apartment on our property. Occasionally, an unwanted squatter would move in and cause trouble, but lately it’s been available. We’ve been looking for a very specific type to move in – relatively quiet during the day, maybe works nights, comfortable with small spaces – at less than one square foot, this apartment isn’t right for just any family. Finally, last week, we got the tenant we were looking for – an Eastern Screech Owl.

This week on the Bird Report, it’s all about strange bird names.

When it comes to late winter on Cape Cod, and the knowledge that beach weather is still four months away, it’s the little signs of better things to come…

A few days ago, a grim ornithological mystery came across my computer screen. A photo of a chunky, yellowish bird found dead in the wrack line at Hardings…