Yellow-Billed Cuckoos Expected Soon

Tentworms starting up: Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, 20 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 29 April 2026 Nine days ago I saw the first tentworms on a small choke cherry tree at Raccoon Wildflower Preserve. Since then I expected tents to appear on many trees and am disappointed that they haven’t yet. When they do, yellow-billed cuckoos won’t be far behind. Eastern tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum) are native moths with a one year life cycle. In the spring the mother moth lays a big batch of eggs on a host tree in the Rosaceae family. When the tree starts to leaf out the eggs hatch and the growing caterpillars build a communal tent where they shelter during the day. At night they come out to eat the leaves of their host — usually a cherry tree. Tentworms on a choke cherry branch, 18 April 2015 (photo by Kate St. John) video embedded from Lightfoot Film on YouTube Tent caterpillars are delicious to birds and a special favorite of yellow-billed cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus)…