Sculpture: If the Spirit is Willing by Mike McCarthy

Guest Blog by Gary Sprandel

Just as the sculptures provide different views depending on the season, the abundant bird life provides joy throughout the year.

In winter, the highlights are the wintering sparrows - up to eight different kinds. Look for them particularly at the feeders (donated by Wild Birds Unlimited of Frankfort) by Heather Hart's The Porch Project: Take it to the Bridge and the fields in Fox Meadow.

In spring, the park comes alive with singing migrants and we delight in the musical warblers such as Yellow-throated Warbler and Northern Parula.

In summer look for Eastern Meadowlarks on the road in, and keep your eyes open for the precocial Killdeer babies. The bluebird trail, maintained by volunteers with Bluebirds of Central Kentucky and Wild Birds Unlimited, means you should see the Eastern Bluebird and Tree Swallow. Summer is also a good time to listen for the Prairie Warbler in Firefly Forest.

In fall, more warblers return, but are quiet and have muted colors. To date, we have seen 113 different species at Josephine Sculpture Park (see our eBird site for a complete list). Will you be the one to see the next new species?

On Sunday, February 19th, Frankfort Audubon Society led a guided bird walk at the park as part of The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). GBBC is a fun citizen science project organized by Cornell University to get a snapshot of winter birds. Despite strong wind, our intrepid crew of five birders saw 27 bird species and found at least 10 works of art featuring birds (see our eBird checklist). Highlights were a Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew right over us and two American Kestrels around the barn. The 2024 Great Backyard Bird Count will be from Friday, February 16 through February 19.

Check out Frankfort Audubon Society's Facebook page for more bird happenings.