Even here in southern Vermont — with six-foot snowbanks and more than a foot still on the ground — you can feel it coming. The light lingers just a little longer. The air shifts. There’s a sense of anticipation that’s hard to explain but easy to recognize.
And at night, while we sleep, the skies are full.
Each morning during migration I check BirdCast from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It’s one of the most remarkable tools available to bird lovers. Using weather radar, it estimates how many birds passed over specific counties in the lower 48 states the night before.
It feels almost unbelievable to wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and see how many migrants crossed above Bennington County in darkness.
In spring 2025, the numbers were staggering:
- March 15, 2025: 9,500 birds
- April 15, 2025: 5,800 birds
- May 15, 2025: 2.44 million birds in a single night
- March 2-June 15, 2025 total: 17.5 million migrants
Seventeen and a half million birds passed overhead in one season. Over “my house,” so to speak.
Migration is one of the greatest movements on Earth. It connects forests in Vermont with shade-grown coffee farms in Latin America. It connects backyard birders to farmers working under forest canopy thousands of miles away. It reminds us how intertwined our choices are with the natural world.
Spring makes that connection feel immediate again.
As birds return to raise their young across the U.S. and Canada, we’re celebrating the season — and offering a few ways to enjoy it with us.
25% Off Organic Pumpkin Spice Roast (While Supplies Last)
Our limited-edition Organic Pumpkin Spice Roast supports habitat for migratory birds like the endangered Blackburnian Warbler, known for its brilliant orange throat. This species depends on shade-grown coffee farms during the winter months.
When you choose Bird Friendly® coffee, you’re helping protect the forest canopy that sustains migrants throughout their journeys — while enjoying a beautifully balanced seasonal roast.
Shop here:
https://birdsandbeanscoffee.com/products/organic-pumpkin-coffee
50% Off Cornell Bird Academy’s Warbler Identification Course
As spring unfolds, many of the 51 species of wood warblers return from Latin America. They are beautiful — and often tricky to identify.
Cornell Bird Academy offers a comprehensive online Warbler Identification course that you can take at your own pace. It’s a wonderful way to deepen your appreciation for what’s happening in the trees this season.
Enroll through March 31 and use code BBWarblerID26 for 50% off tuition:
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/be-a-better-birder-warbler-identification/
10% Off Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup from Hi-Vue Farms
Spring in Vermont also means maple season.
Hi-Vue Farms has been producing organic maple syrup since 1903. Their forest is certified Bird-Friendly Maple, meaning the land is actively managed to protect migratory songbird habitat and wildlife corridors.
Warblers nest there. Thrushes pass through. The forest canopy remains intact.
Use code SweetAndGood10 for 10% off all purchases in March:
https://www.hivuemaples.com/
Spring migration is vast and awe-inspiring — millions moving overhead in the dark — but it’s also personal.
It’s the first flash of yellow in your backyard.
It’s that thin, high trill from the treetops.
It’s the quiet joy of knowing they made it back.
We all do what we can to help birds. And we should also take the time to simply enjoy them.
What are you most looking forward to seeing this spring?
