Saturday, March 30, 2013

Friday, March 29, 2013

Riverside Park

We purposely came to this spot near the river yesterday to see if there was any open water yet.  Hundreds of Trumpeter Swans and dozens of Canada Geese were congregating on either side of a long, narrow channel.

 It's like this every year. We can depend on it.

Nechako River
several channels have opened up

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Habitat

In this tree....
 a small finch (Common Redpoll)
In this tree....
a squirrel (Red Squirrel)
In this tree....
a nuthatch (White-breasted Nuthatch)
In this tree....
a nest for young crows

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Spring is Here

Common Redpoll

Yes, it is!  The whole place has suddenly come alive again.  The crow couple has returned, and everywhere there are birds calling to each other, twittering, cawing, singing, honking.  

It was a sunny day, and to top it off, I saw my first butterfly of the season. It was one of the overwintering butterflies just released from its deep sleep, I think, a Compton Tortoiseshell.  I'll try to post a picture soon.

There is still snow here, but it is changing rapidly with the warmer temperatures.
 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Another Recent Spring Arrival

Dark-eyed Junco - Oregon
In the fall, the Northern Juncos migrate to their winter range in the south, and beginning around the middle of March (I saw one on the 17th March near the bird feeders) they arrive back to their breeding habitat in the coniferous and mixed forests to the north.

The Junco in the above photo was foraging under the Birch tree in the backyard where the snow had recently melted.  He stamped his feet every now and again searching for seeds that had fallen to the ground during the winter.  

The Junco was first described by Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician, Carl Linnaeus in Systema Naturae (1758).

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Arrival of Spring and Spring Migration

Trumpeter Swans at Sinkut River

The Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese have been here for several days now.  It is always exciting to see them at this time of the year and to know that, even though it doesn't seem like it yet, spring is well on its way.

Today, there are some snowflakes swirling outside my window in a mostly overcast sky.  However, the sun is trying to shine through, and it remains fairly mild.