During the second half of May, the final summer migrant species arrived back to breed on the Sunshine Coast: willow flycatchers from Central America, common nighthawk from South America and red-eyed vireo from the Amazon basin. The nighthawk is usually the final arrival and the first birds were reported at Ruby Lake on June 1, a typical date.
Nighthawks are aerial insectivores and included in a large class of birds such as swifts and swallows that are thought to be declining. Causes include tropical deforestation and the use of herbicides and pesticides that impact the populations of a wide variety of insects. Red-eyed vireo is a common species in eastern deciduous forests but very uncommon on the Pacific coast. The species is interesting as it migrates from the Amazon to the west coast through eastern North America and does not occur in California and rarely in Washington and Oregon. Willow flycatcher is one of the most common of our local birds through the summer and it frequents open areas such as scrubby wasteland, clearcuts and powerlines.
The Sunshine Coast Natural History Society held their monthly birdwalk on June 7 at the Sechelt airport and for two to three hours we were regaled with the constant calls and song of many willow flycatchers. The flycatcher family does not sing melodically as thrushes or finches do, and the willow flycatcher has a distinctive monotone song translated as an explosive “fitz-bew.” In contrast to other songbirds, it has been discovered that this song is entirely innate and not learned or partly learned. This flycatcher is notable as the female also sings a territorial song, a rarity in the bird world.
On May 26 and 27 a northern mockingbird, a rare visitor to B.C., was discovered at the Wilson Creek estuary by John Hodges. At the same time, a clay-coloured sparrow, normally found in the Okanagan, was present at the same location. On June 8 an eastern kingbird was at Sargeant Bay.
To report your sightings or questions contact [email protected] or 604-885-5539.
