Mid-April is an exciting time for local birders as the ever-changing birdlife of the Sunshine Coast moves into high gear with the daily arrival of migrants from the south and the departure of some of our wintering species. One of the most obvious and widely observed features of the period is the daily overflight of snow geese along the Salish Sea as they make their long migration flight to Wrangell Island in eastern Siberia. During April thousands of geese will fly by. Listen for their noisy flight conversation, and if you see a flock they will be flying in a typical V-formation. The birds are pure white with very obvious black wing tips. They will return again in September and then we will know that winter is irrevocably bearing down on us again.
The migration season so far has produced the usual parade of predictable, hoped-for and Hail Mary species. In the latter category, two sandhill cranes were photographed on the first fairway of the Sechelt golf course on the afternoon of April 6. A hoped-for species that put in an appearance was two female mountain bluebirds on fencelines around the fields in the Crowston Road area of west Porpoise Bay. Predictable species that have made their first appearance in April include American goldfinch, Lin-coln’s sparrow, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat and Townsend’s solitaire.
In the next few days we await the arrival of more warblers as black-throated gray and Townsend’s warblers will appear, foraging for insects among the budding maple flowers. Cassin’s vireo will magically appear one morning and be detected in the trees by its distinctive call notes. After about the 20th, the first flycatchers, Hammond’s and Pacific-slope, will arrive. A less welcome visitor will be the brown-headed cowbird, a brood parasite that targets our smaller songbirds.
Other species much in evidence right now are migrating white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows. These birds come with a warning if you are trying to grow peas in your garden as they like to nibble the young shoots. Listen in the trees for the long, enthusiastic warbling of the tiny ruby-crowned kinglet.
To report your sightings or questions contact Tony at [email protected] or 604-885-5539. Good birding.
