Heard But Not Seen: The Colourful Songbirds of Summer
This post has been contributed by Don Enright, Communications Volunteer (and Past President) with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).
Vancouver is full of beautiful, brightly-coloured birds right now—they’re just a bit hard to spot.
As a kid growing up, I was captivated by images of tropical birds, with their impossibly bright feathers. It wasn’t until I got a little older that I realized we have some outrageously bright birds right around us—and while they’re not always easy to spot, they’re right over our heads, singing their hearts out.
For me, the absolute winner in the colourful department is the western tanager.
Western Tanager. Photo: Jerry McFarland
The tanagers are, in fact, a tropical bunch of birds—most of this guy’s relatives live in Central and South America. But a few tanager species spend their summers up north, and the western tanager is our local rep. They arrive as if on schedule around the first week of May, and in Stanley Park the broadleaf trees around the Dining Pavilion are a good place to look for them.
A word of warning: you’d think that their bright yellow and red plumage would make them stand out against a green tree; it doesn’t. First, you’ll need to listen to their prr-drr-DIK call, and their beautiful robin-like song. Once you tune into their vocalizations, you’ll realize how surprisingly common this bird is in summer (they spend their winters far to the south.) And if you invest a little time staring up in the trees, you’ll eventually be rewarded with the sight of one of these beauties perching in plain view.
Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo: Mick Thompson
Not far away from those tanagers, there’s another bright and beautiful songbird lurking high in the trees: the black-headed grosbeak. Another summer visitor, this handsome creature sings with the most beautiful rich, resonant tones—from waaaaay up in the trees. Right now, they’re busy tending to their nests. They’re good parents, by human standards—as with most songbirds, both male and female care for and feed the young. And like the western tanager, the black-headed grosbeak is easily heard, once you tune in to their call. I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard one already, but assumed it was a robin. The songs are similar.
The third colourful songbird on my list is the red crossbill, and this is one hardy bird. Unlike the other two who fly south early in the fall, the red crossbill is a year-round resident, specializing in the seeds of our conifer trees. In fact, it has a crazy beak that is tailored just to that purpose.
Red Crossbill. Photo: Tom Ediger
Red crossbills are cone specialists. In fact, in years where we’ve got a spectacular cone crop, these birds will set up a nest and raise their young in the dead of winter. And while that beak looks like a breeding experiment gone wrong, it’s actually pretty smart: birds have much stronger muscles for closing their mouths than for opening them—so those curved ends to the beak allow them to pry a cone open with a closing action.
While they’re a bit hard to spot way up in the cedar trees, I have seen them down along the rocks near Second Beach during winter. They were probably gathering grit to store in their gizzards—most birds can’t really chew their food, so they pass their seed meals through a stone grinder attached to their stomachs.
All three of these birds can be attracted to bird baths during dry weather. If you choose to keep a bird bath, please make sure to keep it clean and fresh.
And ultimately, the best way to do these birds a favour is to ensure they have lots of room to breed and to feed. Keeping a little bit of your property wild is a great gesture for our urban wildlife, and ensuring a healthy future for places like Stanley Park will help us keep exotic, colourful songbirds around us in the years to come.
About SPES Saturday
As a member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”), I wanted to offer the organization an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I created the “SPES Series” years ago. This is where SPES can contribute and share stories with my audience once a month. Follow SPES on Facebook for more information.
Spend some quality time with the dad in your life on June 17th, enjoying some of the events and activities taking place across the region. From bacon and baseball to fishing and comedy, you’ll definitely find some fun for the family!
Things to do on Father’s Day in Vancouver 2018
Catch at Nat Bailey
Play catch with dad at Vancouver’s most celebrated sports stadium. Families can enjoy dad’s special day outside with a good old fashioned game of catch at the home of the Vancouver Canadians. Admission is free to Vancouver’s most coveted Father’s Day tradition. Participants are encouraged to bring their own baseballs and gloves to make this event a real hit.
Historic Stewart Farm
Stop by Historic Stewart Farm for the Father’s Day Open House with the Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club and their display model trains, train rides, crafts, conductor dress-up, sack races, lemonade and coffee on the farmhouse verandah, and guided tours.
BC Place Tours
Visit the BC Sports Hall of Fame, the home of the BC Lions and Whitecaps FC all in one during an all access tour of BC Place scheduled on Father’s Day.
Fishing Derby in Coquitlam
The Lafarge Lake Fishing Derby on June 17th is for both novice and expert anglers, with the lake fully stocked with rainbow trout. Kids are also invited to help stock the lake. No licence is required, so this is great opportunity to introduce your kids to fishing and conservation. Volunteers will be onsite to teach and demonstrate angling techniques.
TheatreSports
WARNING: Dad jokes! Get tickets for the Vancouver TheatreSports Super Dad Show on June 17th. The SuperDad Show pokes fun at all the foibles and complexities of what it means to be a father today. Ticket price is only $25 and includes the show PLUS either a glass of House Wine or Beer on Tap.
Wine & Swine
Does dad like wine and slow-roasted meats enjoyed at picnic tables? Book a ticket to the Father’s Day Wine & Swine at Township 7 Winery in Langley. This pairing event will include 3 new wine releases paired with bacony bites.
Burnaby Village Museum
Visit Burnaby Village Museum with the family on Father’s Day for Tin Smith Demos, Close Shaves at the McKay Barbershop, a Classic Motorcycle Display, and more. As always, admission is free, and rides on the heritage carousel are $2.65 each.
Car Free Day
Check out free community celebrations, some 10-20 blocks long, in neighbourhoods around the city during Car Free Day Vancouver. Live music, food, vendors, family activities and more will create a festival atmosphere on Main Street and at Kitsilano block parties on June 17th.
For all of these events and more, follow Miss604 on Facebook and Twitter, and bookmark the full June event list.
Three local authors will be at Book Warehouse for Suburbia Takes on Main Street to talk about their individual novels that all feature suburbs of Vancouver. Miss604’s own Michelle Kim will be reading from her book Running Through Sprinklers (set in Surrey); Charlie Demers will read from Property Values (set in Coquitlam); and Sam Wiebe will read from Cut You Down (set in Burnaby).
Suburbia Takes on Main Street
Where: Book Warehouse Main Street (4118 Main St, Vancouver)
When: Tuesday, June 12, 2018 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
RSVP to the Facebook event here »
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Jayda is a 15-year-old girl who attends John Oliver Secondary School. She loves shoe shopping, iced capps, and sassing her dad.
She is also diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic condition that delays development, and is often associated with a number of life-threatening birth defects. Jayda is non-verbal, using gestures, signs, and symbols to communicate. She has a cardiac condition that requires a pacemaker, and tires her out easily.
Doctors said that she was unlikely to ever learn to walk, take part in everyday activities, or eat orally. In 2004, her dad was told she only had six months to live. But she’s proven all of those predictions wrong.
Adaptive Adventures with Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
Her dad, Paul, describes her as being full of life, persistent, and always willing to try new things. So for Jayda and Paul, a Best Day Ever with Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is an adaptive adventure.
The recreation therapy team at Canuck Place prides themselves on finding creative adaptations so that children of all ability levels can take part in adaptive adventures like sit-skiing and zip-lining.
“It’s something I never imagined she would be able to do,” says Paul. “I was nervous for her to try sit-skiing, but seeing the smile on her face when she was coming full speed down the hill, laughing and wanting to do it over and over again, was the best day ever!”
When they’re not chasing down adventures with recreation therapy, a Best Day Ever for Paul is a simple one.
“A Best Day is experiencing life through her eyes,” Paul says. “Taking in each special moment, and enjoying the time together, allowing Jayda to be worry-free, pain-free, not having to worry about anything.”
Canuck Place depends on a community of donors to provide pediatric palliative care to children living with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
You’re invited to make a donation to Canuck Place to provide a Best Day Ever to a Canuck Place child like Jayda.
Whether it’s an Adaptive Adventure, a Day without Pain, or an Understanding Hug, you can make Best Days Ever possible. Donate today.
Follow Canuck Place Children’s Hospice on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Meet Yanise, the 23-year-old rollerblading across the United States raising money for One Girl Can!
Yanise, also known as The Bladress, is a self-taught long distance rollerblader and a passionate human rights and happiness advocate. Her aim is to break the world record for longest distance travelled on inline skates, all while supporting girls’ education in areas of the world where gender equality and oppression are still rampant.
Thanks to One Girl Can, I have this Q&A to share featuring Yanise’s incredible story:
Q: Tell us about your journey so far?
Yanise: “As of May 24, I have been skating for 72 days across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and I’m currently in Virginia. Despite not having any money to start with, there’s not been a day I go without shelter or go hungry. Strangers have opened their doors and hearts for me. Instantaneously we become one family. I’m still in awe of the genuine kindness of the people I meet every day. Drivers honk and wave to say hello and go around me, some even pull over to give me hugs and blessings. Lots of people offer me food or places to stay!” Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
