It has been a slightly unusual winter this year. Prior to the new year it was warm and wet, followed by a very unusual three-week period in January when the sun shone every day with frosty nights. By Feb. 1, when thoughts were turning to spring, suddenly 50 cm of snow (variable) and sub-zero temperatures appeared. There was little melting for two weeks under the Arctic air mass. Now, in late February, we are enjoying double digit weather. A walk around my garden showed crocus, snowdrops and primula in bloom, with early daffodils ready to burst. The purple heather is in full bloom, and the forsythia and clematis will be next.
In the bird world, things are beginning to stir, with house finches trilling in urban areas and cattail marshes noisy with the vocalizations of red-winged blackbirds. I have not heard any yet but listen for the exuberant outpourings of Pacific wrens from the forest floor and song sparrows from riparian areas. Robins are being increasingly reported but they are still scarce prior to the tsunami of arrivals in March. Anna’s hummingbirds are now extremely abundant on the Sunshine Coast, particularly in urban/suburban areas. This species has only extended its range into B.C. in the last 50-60 years and prior to that, was largely confined to California. When it expanded its range northward, it brought its Californian habits with it, and we now have the seeming paradox of hummingbirds nesting in Canada in February. Despite this, the birds appear to thrive, even sitting on eggs in sub-zero temperatures.
When the snow arrived on the night of Feb. 3, we not only awoke to a white winter wonderland but also to the overnight arrival of thousands of varied thrushes. This species, a close relative of our robin, is a common winter resident of Sunshine Coast forests but in normal circumstances, it might pass unseen by the average citizen as it stays upslope in the mountains. Whenever there is deep snow in the mountains, the birds, which are ground-feeders, immediately drop down to sea level searching for patches of bare earth where they can forage. While the snow lasted, varied thrushes were to be seen everywhere but they gradually filter back upslope as the snow disappears.
As you read this column, the good news is that the first long-distance summer migrant, yellow-rumped warbler, will appear in two weeks, and rufous hummingbirds are three weeks away. More dependent on the presence of a warm weather front, are the first tree and violet-green swallows, which may appear as early as March 7.
To report your sightings or questions contact me at [email protected] or 604-885-5539. Good Birding
