With many viewing areas out of bounds, backyard birding begins to take off
With popular observation spots shut down, this spin on a popular hobby is really taking off
The coronavirus may have grounded humans, but the Pacific Flyway is a frenzy of winged activity.
It’s the path taken by migratory birds as they track food, settle into breeding grounds and chase better weather runs all the way from northern Alaska to southern Patagonia. Among the many notable stops along the way are Boundary Bay and the Alaksen National Wildlife Area on Westham Island off Richmond.
In a normal year, these local locations and other popular birdwatching spots such as the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary would be packed with people.
Now, not so much.
But there has been an explosion of backyard birdwatching over the past month. People who couldn’t tell the difference between a bushtit and a spotted towhee are getting involved with homebased projects such as Birds Canada’s Project FeederWatch, says director David Bradley.
Turns out, this is one of the best times of the year to take the time to get birding.
“It’s quieter in terms of noise pollution from cars and industry and it’s also the time when the birds are starting to become much more detectable by sound as they are migrating, breeding and so on,” Bradley said. “So, the impression that there are more birds about is, I’m afraid to say, probably not the case. But, with everyone spending more time in our backyards and being, maybe, a bit bored, we’re starting to slow down and notice the sparrows hopping about or the swallows overhead.”
June Hunter, creator of the popular Vancouver crow calendar, writes the Urban Nature Enthusiast. Her birdwatching blog boasts truly exceptional photography — both of the photos in this story were supplied by her — and is a backyard birding inspiration. She echoes Bradley in how the birding habit builds up.
According to Hunter, it starts with shifting your focus.
“I started my photography with detailed minutiae of botanicals, taking pictures of plants, looking down at the ground,” Hunter said. “Then, one day, the birds were making such a racket, so I looked up. It starts with crows, because they are large and loud, like a gateway drug. The next thing you know, you’re making pronouncements on the activities of tree creepers and all kinds of obscure avian oddities.”
Who needs streaming services when there are blackcapped chickadees in the yard?
These tiny birds engage in what appears to be a daily succession of increasingly daring airborne acrobatic challenges that are impossible to ignore. Regularly working themselves into a frenzied chorus of chirping before the next round of stunt flying, their racket overpowers the downy woodpecker dedicated to putting a hole in a smoke bush. The chickadees can even drown out the cawing of the crows as the murder gathers for its evening trip to East Van. Yet the rufous hummingbirds appear unimpressed.
All of this activity is taking place in a yard that measures about two by 15 metres. Similar observations can be made watching a jay put a bustle in your hedgerow from a condo patio.
Dr. Robert W. Butler is a local ornithologist who co-authored Pacific Flyway: Waterbird Migration from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego (Penguin/ Random House Canada).
Butler has spent decades observing and documenting birds, and educating people about them. His research and conservation efforts have led to his developing a unified theory of sustainable culture called nature culture.
He sees birdwatching as a key gateway to observing the natural world and living better within it.
“Once you start noticing birds in the backyard, you realize that there is a whole world taking place out there that doesn’t care that there is COVID-19 around,” Butler said. “They are busy migrating, doing what they do and it’s endlessly fascinating to get reacquainted with our avian neighbours and visitors. You can watch things online and get bored, or go outside and catch the first orangecrowned warbler arriving as the vanguard of the coming migration.”
At a time when money is in short supply, birdwatching has another benefit: It’s inexpensive.
All of those consulted said all you need is your eyes, a pair of binoculars and some resources to help aid in identifying what breed of bird just flew in front of you.
Among the recommended sources are Birds Canada’s printable Map-Guide to the Common Birds of Vancouver; Birds of Southwestern British Columbia (Richard Cannings, Tom Aversa and Hal Opperman; heritagehouse.ca); and numerous bird ID apps. A world leader in bird studies and research, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers up an array of online courses through its Bird Academy and there are a lot of options to incorporate your new hobby into your everyday carry items.