Rufous Returns

Vivaldi's Gloria

Thu May 4th

Male Rufous Hummingbird - Selasphorus Rufus

Steller's Jay in the front garden
A debate is starting to rumble in BC as to whether the Rufous Hummingbird should replace the Steller's Jay as the official provincial bird.  The Rufous, which has just returned from its winter sojourn in Mexico, will be here until the middle of summer, when it will head back the 2500+ miles to avoid the BC winter.  The one above has been a frequent visitor to our feeder, along with all year round Anna's Hummingbird.

I'm not overly convinced that a bird that spends less than six months 'in town' should warrant the title, beautiful though it is.  I do find it pretty amazing that something so small, weighing in at 0.1oz (3 grams), flies such distances.  Flying at speeds of 20 - 30 mph, that is 100 days in each direction. No wonder it is only around for 3 - 4 months.   The Steller's Jay is resident year-round in BC.   

Others favour the Raven, if any change is necessary.  Having only ever seen them at The Tower of London before moving to BC, I was surprised there is such a large local population.  I think if I had to choose, it would have to be the Raven, if only because they are the traditional iconic bird of the First Nations in Canada, oh and they make sounds like 'cronk-cronk' according to the RSPB. 

Last weekend was the choir's Vivaldi Gloria concerts.  Fifty singers and an orchestra of about twenty, all local Coasters apart from one violin soloist, here for the preceding Vivaldi Concerto for two Violins in A-min RV 522.   The concerts were the combined efforts of the Coast Messiah Choir, the Coast Messiah Orchestra and the Suncoast Phoenix Community Choir.  See article here.  I am, as a result, feeling slightly sorry for myself.  Firstly because it is over and it was the most amazing sound to be part of.  It didn't sound at all amateur.  Secondly, because in loading the rostra onto the back of a pick-up truck after  Thursday's evening rehearsal, I decided it would be very macho to jump off the back and in so doing have buggered up my knee and spent Friday morning in ER getting it x-rayed and checked.  Actually, I don't think I decided anything, if I had thought about it I wouldn't have jumped off the back.  No bones broken but visits to the physio beckon as its very swollen and I'm struggling to walk more than a few yards. Quite what possessed me to jump off the truck at my age is beyond me!  

Finally, and on top of that, a number of choir and orchestra members have since gone down with chest infections (me included) or Covid, which has been doing the rounds.  Clearly some did not read the emails beforehand asking people to stay away if they felt ill.  Whilst I don't have Covid a cellist neighbour who chauffeured me to and from the concerts as I can't currently drive, has developed Covid.  A recording of the concert was made which I'll post when it is available.

Fred on the other hand, who had her new hip less than three months ago is doing great and walking up hills she couldn't do beforehand.  Tennis resumes next month.

In other news, Nick, Lizzie and Seb picked up the keys to their new townhouse, two years to the day that we arrived on the Coast.  They have a few months' work ahead of them knocking walls down and installing a new kitchen.  

They are going to miss their top floor apartment view in Kitsilano, but given the difficulty of getting on to the housing ladder in Vancouver they have made a good move.  They are now on the North Shore which they used to look at from their deck.  The beautiful Lynn Valley area is close to trails and three ski areas on the North Shore.

We are already booked in for Seb sitting, painting, gardening ..........

Last week, we ventured back to Smith Rd, where we spent most of our first year on the Coast, for an evening with friends in their beach side cabin.  Their views across West Howe Sound looking towards Gambier Island and the North Shore mountains are pretty special.  The ferries coming in and out of the terminal, which we didn't want to be anywhere near before arriving on the coast, were quite majestic.  The grumble of their engines echoing across the water long before they turned into the quay.  After dinner we repaired to their deck and enjoyed the evening setting sun and a roaring fire over coffee.

North Shore mountains behind Gambier Island


Burning some of their recent cedar prunings


The beautiful Rufous Hummingbird as described by Sibley's Birds of North America







Comments

  1. Bob CronkMay 8, 2023 at 12:02 PM

    Stupid boy! What else would I say. Pls forward Nick &Lizzie's new address.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MikeT67MMay 9, 2023 at 11:47 AM

      I'm calling it a brain related knee injury, for not engaging it before I jumped! Address to follow.

      Delete

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