We are lucky on the Sunshine Coast to experience four clearly identifiable seasons…at least for those who appreciate the wonder of this eternal transience. At the very least, most people are aware of the seasonal weather, while others note the blossoming of trees in the springtime or the falling of leaves in the autumn. Birders (and gardeners) are aware of these changes at an intimate level, as indicated by the presence/absence of individual species.
In the second and third weeks of October, thousands of geese flew overhead and along the Sunshine Coast heading for the Fraser Delta. On Oct. 22, the first trumpeter swan flock of the winter was reported by Phill Murray in Roberts Creek. We see the swans heading south from the last week of October through November. A few birds usually winter with us, with a small flock often in the Phare Lake area of Halfmoon Bay. Individual birds are sometimes reported from ponds at golf courses. The last week of October always brings the first reports of buffleheads and common and Barrow’s goldeneyes, which completes the arrival of our wintering duck species.
In our gardens, the winter regime is in place. Species present will depend to a degree on the specific habitat around you. On Redrooffs Road, Halfmoon Bay, where I live, the predictable species to be heard/found include red-breasted nuthatch, ruby and golden crowned kinglets, chestnut-backed chickadee, Pacific wren, spotted towhee, and song and fox sparrows. Other species include Anna’s hummingbird, Steller’s jay and five species of woodpecker. If you have a bird feeder you may attract white and golden-crowned sparrows, and house and purple finches.
John Hodges is the Sunshine Coast’s keenest birder and is out most days observing and recording birds. To date, John has observed 197 species on the Sunshine Coast this year, and with two full months still to go, he should attain the 200 mark. Last week John located a mountain chickadee at Gospel Rock, only the third local record in the past decade. John has a couple of easy, predictable species still to add, but is also hoping for possible rarer winter species such as snow bunting or Harris’s sparrow. Good luck with this John!
If our winter birds are too prosaic for you, there are other options. One of the Coast’s leading birders is currently birding in Vietnam. Also, on Friday evening at 7 p.m. the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society (bcnature.org/sunshine-coast-natural-history-society) will be holding their monthly meeting (ZOOM this month), and the topic is "The Birds of Ecuador." This will be a photographic exploration of one of the most bird-diverse countries in the world, with 1600+ species.
To report your sightings or questions contact me at [email protected] or 604-885-5539. Good Birding.
