This Saturday, May 13, is the third Global Big Day organized by eBird, an online bird data recording operation conducted by Cornell University and the Audubon Society. On the 13th birders around the world will go forth and record their sightings on eBird. Last year, 6,332 of the world’s 10,200+ species were reported on this one day alone, and the event grows every year.
Locally, a Global Big Day event begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Ruby Lake Resort. Expert birders will be on hand to lead bird walks, record birds, and submit the sightings to the Global Big Day. I encourage you to attend this event and also to visit the eBird website (ebird.org). The site just reached its 400 millionth bird record. For those interested in other aspects of the natural world, there is also eButterfly and eFlora.
On Saturday we certainly expect to see and hear many of our local birds and on any given day in May there are about 130 species of birds present on the Sunshine Coast. Local birders have been out and about, and notably John Hodges recorded an impressive 66 species of birds in the immediate vicinity of the Wilson Creek estuary on the morning of May 4. Further north, Kaiden Bosch saw five species of swallows over Garden Bay Lake on May 3. On May 7, a flock of 130 snow geese passed by Mission Point, probably the last flock of the spring migration for this species. The first flock was reported on March 21 and the peak of the movement was in mid-April.
Most of our summering species are now present on the Sunshine Coast with warbling vireos, western tanagers, black-headed grosbeaks, black-throated gray warblers, Hammond’s flycatchers and many other species in full spring voice. The first two Swainson’s thrushes of the season were heard at Sargeant Bay Park on May 7. The birds were giving their soft “weep” call note, which they do prior to bursting into full song a few days after they arrive back from wintering in Central America.
Julie Brooks was delighted to find a male lazuli bunting in her Granthams Landing garden on May 6. Watch for more of these beauties at your feeders during May.
To report your sightings or questions contact [email protected] or 604-885-5539.
