by Thais Bock

As the seasons turn and the spring equinox brings longer daylight hours, so, too, the neo-tropical birds begin their long, often perilous journey northward.  The urge to find and claim nest sites propels them from wintering grounds in Central and South America and their welcome songs alert us to the first signs of spring.

Resident birds also are tuning-up for the imminent nesting season; in fact, in early March expect to hear song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) bursting forth in variations of many songs.  Listen for the tiny winter wren (Trogolodytes trogolodytes) (pictured to the right) with its tinkling warbles and trills and the singing Bewick's wren (Thyromanes bewickii) showing a distinctive white eye line.  Spotted towhees (Pipilo maculates) become very vocal at this time while the usual noisy Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) begin to quiet down during the nesting season.  Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are tuning up and flaunting their red epaulets.  House finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) have changed from drab winter plumage into bright red/orange colors of Spring.  Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) will soon be checking out nesting boxes on Marlake.

One of the earliest migrants to make an appearance, the orange-crowned warbler (Vermivora celata) (pictured to the left), is easier to hear than to see; listen for a thin, descending song or trill and look for a small yellow bird foraging through leafing-out bushes and trees.  Another warbler, the Wilson's warbler (Wilsonia pusilla), bright yellow and sporting a black cap, prefers to sing and nest in more dense vegetation in late spring.  Other warblers to watch for include yellow-rumped (Dendroica coronata), black-throated gray (Dendroica nigrescens) and Townsend's (Dendroica townsendii), which sometimes overwinters here.  The white-crowned sparrow (pugetensis race), arriving in early March will stay to nest while the golden-crowned sparrow (Zomotrichia atricapilla) makes only a stop-over on its way to breeding grounds farther north at higher elevations.

In early spring rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorous rufus) are attracted to early-blooming wild red currant and salmonberry plants. Flocks of cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedorum), sleek-looking birds with black masks and raised crests, softly calling or lisping, appear high in the treetops or descend into fruit-bearing trees and bushes. A robin-sized bird, the Western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) (pictured to the left) in flashy yellow and black with a bright red face and head migrates through our area stopping to nest in dry conifers.

Expect to welcome the first tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) early in the season followed by violet-green (Tachycineta thalassina) and barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) (pictured below) twittering on telephone wires or hawking insects over the lake.  Later in the season listen for the upward fluting song of the Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus) singing from dense coniferous woods; this species is one of the longest-distance migrants traveling from wintering grounds as far away as Brazil and Argentina.

With daylight gradually gaining a few minutes each day, the dawn chorus of singing birds increases too.  The best birding hours are in the morning, the earlier the better.  A walk through the park in early morning during spring rewards our senses with the wonder and vitality of birds.  By noontime the singing has quieted down considerably although weather is an important factor.  Late in the day and early evening certain species, especially thrushes, pour forth ethereal voices in a fitting tribute to the day's ending.

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