Rufus hummingbirds are back - a sure sign that spring has arrived.
It has been suggested that the Rufus times its arrival with the blooming of salmonberry and redflowering currant. The currant, a beautiful shrub, is an excellent addition to any North Shore garden. The hummer's voice is said to be a hard sharp "Tuwk."
Don't be surprised to watch hummingbirds engaged in battles. The Rufus hummingbird is said to be aggressive even by hummingbird standards.
It has been observed buzzing squirrels, chipmunks, Anna's hummingbirds, and several years ago there was a report from the interior of a Rufus giving a moose a piece of its mind.
By now (early spring) our local resident Anna's will be nesting. While Anna's and Rufus are the North Shore's two commonly seen hummers, every spring/summer a few of the locally rarer Calliope hummingbirds are spotted. The eastern ruby-throated
hummingbird does not usually occur on the North Shore, although with several Costas seen locally over the past few years, anything is possible. Interestingly, there is a record of the ruby-throated at Cypress Provincial Park.
One of the most delightful aspects of spring is the dawn chorus, with birds starting early in the morning to greet the rising sun.
The Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats is an excellent location to experience this wonderful symphony of nature (you can join a dawn chorus walk at the conservation area on Saturday, May 24 at 6 a.m.). This is an experience that should not be missed. The conservation area is an excellent site to enjoy the dawn chorus, owing to the nice diversity of habitats - woods, marsh, field and tidal flats, and marine.
It's always a challenge to remember voices not heard since last year, like the yellow-rumped warbler, purple finch, American goldfinch, warbling vireo and western tanager. Every day brings new discoveries of songs and calls. Redwinged blackbirds sing their "oink-a-ree" while the Virginia rail calls loudly its "kidick-a-dick."
Robins, song sparrows and red-wings are often the first birds to sing at dawn. Some birds will sing at any time of the day, while others are most vocal at sunrise (a few at dusk).
Remembering bird songs and calls seems like a daunting task, but there is help out there.
Here are some ideas:
A good app for your handheld device.
CDs with local bird songs and calls (like John Neville's).
When outdoors, if you hear a bird, track it down.
Go with others who can help (like free bird walks at the conservation area). The May 10 walk will be a celebration of bird songs.
Visit your local wild bird nature store for the best advice.
Along with the birds, spring brings other wonderful things like:
Wildflowers: Skunk cabbage, red-flowering currant, colt's foot and more.
Butterflies: Look for a Mourning Cloak, an anglewing or margined white.
Each day brings new discoveries in song and colour. Enjoy, but keep safe.
Al Grass is a naturalist with Wild Bird Trust of B.C., which offers free walks at The Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats on the second Saturday of every month. The next walk will be Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. to search for the early returning migrants that call the area their summer home. Meet at WBT's site office, 2645 Dollarton Hwy.
