Western Tanager. Photo by John Saremba
BIRDWEEK 2020
At our club February, 2020, monthly meeting, we had announced plans for BIRDWEEK Port Moody scheduled from May 2 – 9, 2020 to be organized by BMN and BIMES (Burrard Marine Enhancement Society). There were free, family-oriented activities planned for each day of the week with the finale on World Migratory Bird Day, May 9. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are looking forward to hatching our inaugural celebration BIRDWEEK Port Moody next May 2021.
In the meantime, we have taken BIRDWEEK online by including posts here on our web site as well as daily posts on our Facebook and Twitter accounts from May 2 – 9, 2020.
Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by John Reynolds
Rufous Hummingbirds overwinter in the southern US and Mexico. They arrive in southwestern BC in early March following the blossoming of native plants including salmonberry and red-flowering current. Backyards and flower-filled parks are good places to find them in the spring. These birds will move up into flowering meadows in mountains as the season progresses.
The Rufous Hummingbird has an excellent memory for location. Some birds have been seen returning from migration and investigating where a feeder had been the previous year, even though it had since been moved.
Looking for an activity to do at home? Try drawing a Hummingbird. David Sibley shows you how in this video. https://www.facebook.com/NationalAudubonSociety/videos/531755180839997/
Wood Duck. Photo by Paul Steeves
The Wood Duck is a spectacular looking waterfowl. The male wood duck is multi-coloured and has iridescent feathers with ornate patterns. They can be seen throughout the Lower Mainland year-round usually around the edges of swamps, ponds, marshes, and slow-moving water.
They are one of the few ducks with strong claws that can grip bark, and perch on branches. They nest in trees near water.
Killdeer. Photo by John Reynolds
The Killdeer is a shorebird that can be commonly found in open habitats without high grass such as lawns, road edges, mud flats, plowed fields, beaches, and even parking lots. They run across the ground in spurts which can make them easier to see.
Killdeer make their nests on bare gravel where their eggs are nearly invisible. The parent will feign a broken wing as part of a distraction display when the next is discovered.
Violet-green Swallow. Photo by June Lussier
Violet-green Swallows are aerial insectivores and will forage in flight often at great heights. These swallows like open areas including woodlands and agricultural lands and are often near water during migration.
They tend to be in groups from 10 to 100 and often hang out with other swallows such as the Tree Swallow that looks very similar. The Violet-green Swallow can be distinguished from other swallows by the white patches on the sides of their rump and their white cheeks. The male’s distinctive glossy, iridescent purple-green can be seen when the sunlight illuminates their feathers.
Common Yellowthroat. Photo by John Saremba
The Common Yellowthroat is a warbler that is easily identified by the black “bandit” mask bordered by white above, and a bright yellow throat. These birds prefer low, dense, wetland vegetation where they skulk through thick cover foraging for insects. The male Common Yellowthroat are very vocal so you likely will hear the bird singing witchety-witchety-witchety before you see it.
During courtship, male Common Yellowthroats perform a flight display in which they rise up to 30 metres in the air, calling and singing.
American Dipper. Photo by June Lussier
The American Dipper is North America’s only truly aquatic songbird preferring rushing streams, rivers, and pond margins. It catches all of its food underwater as it swims or walks on water bottoms in search of aquatic insect larvae, molluscs, small fish, and fish eggs.
The bird stands and bobs on streamside rocks, flying up and down stream to feed or protect its territory. They make their nest among roots on a stream bank, often behind a waterfall.
Sandhill Cranes. Photo by John Saremba
Sandhill Cranes have long legs and necks and can stand over one metre tall making it one of the “tallest” birds in BC. The body and wing feathers are varying shades of grey. In some regions, where certain soils occur, the birds will preen iron rich mud into their feather creating an overall rust tinge. Their distinctive red “cap” is bald red skin that covers their forehead and crown.
The distinctive musical trumpeting calls are easy to identify and can be heard more thana mile away. They eat plants, including berries and lichens, but also small animals and insects that can be found in marshes, bogs, swamps and meadows.
To differentiate cranes from herons in flight, remember that cranes fly with their necks stretched out while herons hold their necks in a an “S” shape.
BIRDING RESOURCES
- Nature Canada’s Guide to Indoor Birding
https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/nature-canada-guide-indoor-birding/ - Cornell Lab’s Building Skills: The 4 Keys to Bird Identification
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/building-skills-the-4-keys-to-bird-identification/ - ca (A joint project by Nature Canada and Birds Canada)
- Bird quizzes, Migratory Bird Facts, 3-Steps to Indoor Birding, and Kids Discovery Zone
https://www.birdday.ca/discover - Restore Bird Habitat. Download and try a Restoration Project
https://www.birdday.ca/restore - Defend Birds. Let decisionmakers know that healthy bird populations are a critical part of the ecosystems we all depend on.
https://www.birdday.ca/defend
- Bird quizzes, Migratory Bird Facts, 3-Steps to Indoor Birding, and Kids Discovery Zone
- org
eBird is a free online platform that lets birders record and share their observations while also contributing vital data to bird conservation programs.- About eBird
https://ebird.org/about - Get Started
https://bit.ly/3d3VQB4
- About eBird
- Merlin Bird ID
What’s that bird? Answer 5 questions or upload a photo and Merlin Bird ID (a free app) will help you solve the mystery.
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/