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April 8th, 2004  April Fuel Nothing re-energizes birders like the arrival of spring birds. Their sudden appearance is the year’s high-octane fuel additive - too potent for year round use but useful for blowing carbon out of the old binoculars. A side effect of the spring birding season is so many other chores, which are not bird-related, fall by the wayside. All too easily I find myself squeezing in the time to walk around a freshly opened pond, putting up just one more bird box, or modifying winter feeders for the arrival of spring birds. Yes, I’m sorry Woodpeckers, this means I’ve put my suet away for the season. This year, so far, April has been kind. Its moderate face has only turned to warm thoughts. Nights dip to just a few degrees below zero Celsius and days rise to twelve or more degrees above Celsius. This brings the usually protracted ‘brown spring’ swiftly along towards ‘green spring.’ One effect of the series of warmer days; I have never seen the Aspen trees put on such a fetching display of their catkins. In certain lights the Aspen branches look like halos of white hair. On hillsides where many cottonwoods grow this effect looks like an audience of white-haired heads craning to see over one another. When the catkins are seen in cool morning light I’m also reminded of hoarfrost. The warm April weather also induced me to put out my Hummingbird feeder. When hanging under the eaves of the house, the sugar water feeder resists freezing until the temperature drops to about minus 10. There are no local Hummer reports but I’ve heard that a Rufous Hummingbird was sighted about 50 miles north of here, in Williams Lake. So what else is happening? Today, as revealed by the dawn’s early light, Yellow-headed Blackbirds arrived at several local marshes where they will nest, and a pair of Ruddy Ducks landed at 101 Mile marsh. Most waterfowl have already splashed down at the 100 Mile marsh; Gadwall, Bufflehead, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Wigeon (both European and American,) Pintail, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Coot, Cinnamon Teal, Shoveller, Canada Goose, Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, and Ring-necked Duck. So who’s missing? I have not yet crossed paths with the Wood Duck or Blue-winged Teal. Violet-green Swallows arrived in town last week and took up positions all down the back alley, behind the main street, as they usually do upon returning. A male and female sat obligingly on a power line over Fourth Street during last Saturday’s bird walk. This gave everyone a good look at the colours and markings that identify this western Swallow species. Tree Swallows arrived two weeks ago. I first saw them when they swooped over 100 Mile House marsh, and as is often the case with early returns of Swallows, a few days later they were quite scarce. Perhaps the cold nights inhibit the cavorting of flying insects so essential as food for Swallows. As usual a number of Canada Geese intend nesting at the marsh in town. Four days ago I noticed a pair of Geese mating so they presumably have a nest site already picked out and prepared. As far as swans at 100 Mile marsh go, Trumpeter Swans are definitely in the majority. In all the swans I’ve scrutinized I’ve seen only two Tundra. How many have I scrutinized? - Maybe 200. Could some have been the same Trumpeters? - No doubt. So which bird species will be next to migrate? The White-crowned Sparrows will be lined up somewhere just south of us. They start as a trickle and soon there will be hordes until the feeder area becomes a visual and auditory zoo. With the White-crowns come one or two Golden-crowned Sparrows, quietly and unobtrusively, blending in with the big White-crowned flocks. If this year plays out like last year, I would expect to find Harris’ Sparrows at the brush piles in the local dump. I wish I could erect a sign informing those with a penchant for burning branch piles to refrain from doing so for a week or two just so we could enjoy this rare appearance. Harris’ Sparrows are not common in our area and a chance to see them, even at a landfill site, is an occasion. Not one Yellow-rumped Warbler has yet appeared. I looked through my journal and April 10 is about the time I encountered them in years past. Yellow-rumps are hardy members of the Warbler clan but I can recall a year when a sudden turn in the weather had them dropping dead in alarming numbers. The big fly-through of Harriers is yet to happen. When it begins it is possible to see 10 Harriers an hour flying over town and on to the Exeter Lake fields. They come from the Horse Lake direction, possibly up from little Fort or the North Thompson but I’m just guessing their route is from the east. After Exeter Lake they continue on to the Holden Lakes. And after that, their route is unknown to me. Possibly they swing north on a path known only to them. The town of 100 mile House must sit smack dab on a traditional migration corridor but the birds just go up and over without any difficulty. So as I sit here tapping out words today I am well aware that, on every bush, tree and pond, all manner of bird activity is happening. How can I be expected to get anything done? My mind is running on April fuel, my newly repaired scope tripod is beckoning near the back door, and so I must be off again. To e-mail Tom CLICK HERE To look at previous column CLICK HERE |
