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Spring must be here. I awake in the morning to the sound of house finches calling from a branch in the tree from which a feeder hangs. It is a delightful trill that seems to go on forever. Who cannot enjoy the sheer delight and gaiety of the song? Especially the intended recipient - the female of the species. It seems as if the bird is welcoming the longer hours of daylight and the warmer days. They are busy at the feeder, garnering the necessary nutrition that will lead to first building a nest in the nearby cedar hedge, to egg-laying and subsequent fledglings.
Another, maybe not so welcome sound is that of the Red shafted Flicker, as it drums on whatever is available in order to attract a mate. Gone are the days when a tree or log would suffice. With the advent of civilization there are much more appealing instruments with more resonating sound. These include our metal chimneys, insulators on hydro and telephone poles, garbage cans and cedar siding. The flicker too is calling and staking out its territory. I well remember camping in a Provincial Camp ground in northern B.C. and at 3.30 am was rudely awakened by a Flicker greeting dawn by hammering on a garbage can right beside our tent. Goodbye to night in a hurry.
Although some Robins do spend the winter in the Okanagan Valley, late February and early March heralds the arrival of large flocks, many of whom are destined for the boreal forests far to the north. Folks living across the prairies particularly identify with the spring song of the Robin as the signal that winter is coming to an end. The remaining berries on the Russian Olive and Mountain Ash trees of the previous year provide food to replenish these birds as they push north. It almost appears that the robin has a brighter orange breast at this time of as well as a bright and cheerful song.
The first swallow was seen by me on March 8th but in the last few days there have been many more. Obviously there are insects on which to feed. They seem never to stop, flying erratically to scoop up the flying insects. Most of these swallow are Violet-Green Swallows also on their way north, some going as far as Alaska.
I have noticed that there does not appear to be so many House Sparrows this year. Maybe the winter weather caused a decline in their numbers. On a recent trip to the United Kingdom, I learned that the decline in sparrows in that country was attributed to the lead in gasoline. With the introduction of non leaded gasoline the trend has been stopped and an increase in numbers sparrows has been noted.
I have heard ravens calling and watch them as they perform their aerial acrobatic flying around Mount Bouchere.
The Great Horned has been calling and I would imagine that the young have hatched already and the adults are now busy feeding them. The young will not fledge until July.
The oh so beautiful male Ringed-necked Pheasant very cautiously approaches the feeder in my garden. Sunlight on the rusty body, the many colored wing feathers and the contrasting white collar are a joy to see. This is always the best time of the year for the birder – as these feathered creatures are dressed in their finest attire and their vocal cords would dazzle a Metropolitan New York Opera fan.
Pat Westheuser
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club
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