Introducing Early Bird Hours this Spring

As the spring season approaches, we are excited to announce that for the first time, Mount Auburn’s main entrance on Mount Auburn Street will be open to pedestrians and vehicles at 6 AM during the months of April and May.

Mount Auburn Cemetery is recognized as one of the premier birding destinations in Massachusetts. The Cemetery’s diverse horticultural collections and natural features attract many species of birds, both migratory and year-round residents.  As an Important Bird Area designated by Mass Audubon, Mount Auburn’s 175 acres play a vital role as a bird habitat for dozens of species of migratory birds is renowned as a regular site of pilgrimage for thousands of bird watchers each year, from both near and far, especially during spring migration.

Most of the birds that pour through Mount Auburn in spring are so-called Neotropical migrants.  For the great majority the Cemetery is not an end destination but a way station, a place to rest and feed en route from their wintering grounds – mainly in Mexico, Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean Islands – to nesting grounds that are often far to the north in the forests of Canada.  Since Mount Auburn lies 1.5 miles from the coast, is nestled in a bend of the Charles River, and from an overhead view forms green oasis in an urban environment, the Cemetery is considered a migrant “trap,” or a popular rest stop on their journey.  Late April is a beginner birder’s preferred time to go birding as the early migrant species begin to trickle in and the tree branches are just breaking bud allowing for clear views.  As we enter May there is a bigger influx of migrants that become trickier to locate as the tree canopy fills in with dense leaves, and the air is filled with a chorus of overlapping song.  The month of May is when the peak abundance of migrant birds is found at Mount Auburn.  By the third week of May it is possible to see close to 100 colorful magnificent species in the Cemetery including Cape May Warbler, Indigo Bunting and Scarlet Tanager.  Early morning is the best time to observe the calls and activity of these winged visitors.

As a landscape with paved roads and paths with gentle rolling terrain, Mount Auburn is a bird watchers dream for easy, walkable birding access.  For those with limited mobility, there are convenient benches in many prime birding locations for stationary birding.  Alternatively, your car can become your birding haven! Parking on any road without a green line painted on it, you can point your binoculars or telephoto lens directly out of your window into the birdsong-filled spring air. The first two hours of the day, 6 AM to 8 AM will be deemed “quiet hours” meaning that no Cemetery vehicles or machines will be in operation and birdsong will be uninterrupted.

“When I first started birding I was amazed at the great diversity of songbirds that could be found at Mount Auburn during spring migration.  Each visit always brings memorable experiences observing birds as well as great interactions with knowledgeable and genuinely kind and interesting birders,” Brooks Matthewson, ecologist and wildlife photographer.

In addition to our avid birder community, any visitor who chooses to visit for a tranquil morning walk among the springtime blooms is welcome to come during these early hours.  In April you will see beautiful cherries, magnolias, and daffodils in bloom.  And in May you will be delighted by flowering crabapples, dogwoods, and rhododendrons.

With free admission and easy access by public transportation (Bus Routes 71 & 73 from Harvard Square), Mount Auburn is one of the most accessible birding options in the area. The Main Entrance (580 Mount Auburn St. Cambridge, MA) and the public restrooms will open daily at 6 AM in the months of April and May.  A drinking fountain is available adjacent to the restrooms. The hours of the office and visitors center will remain the same.  Our other automobile and pedestrian gates will open in succession by 7 AM. 

April 1 – May 15        6 AM – 7 PM
May 16 – May 31       6 AM – 8 PM

We hope to see you this spring for an early visit!

Learn more about Birds & Birding at Mount Auburn >>

Thank you for your support! If you are a member of our community who loves to visit Mount Auburn we are grateful for donations from people like you who help make special initiatives like this possible.

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