From the June 2020 Newsletter and contributed by Isaac Nelson. Isaac is a member of our Next Generation Naturalists program.

Spring has sprung in Kamloops as far as birds are concerned. Many species are already beginning to nest, while others are still migrating through on their way to breeding grounds further North. Yellow-rumped Warblers have arrived en masse, as have Western Tanagers, Chipping Sparrows, House Wrens, and several species of flycatchers. Keep an eye out for both Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds, and one might be lucky enough to witness their spectacular diving displays. Belted Kingfishers appear to be nesting at Tranquille this year, and Lewis’s Woodpeckers have returned to their usual breeding areas including Savona, Skeetchestn Valley, and Planet Mine Road near Stump Lake. Knutsford is also becoming alive again, with Mountain Bluebirds and Tree Swallows perched on every other fence post. Visit Lac du Bois (now open) or Knutsford early in the morning and you will likely hear a drumming Ruffed Grouse. Also look and listen here for the elusive and newly-arrived MacGillivray’s Warbler which prefers the shrubby understory of the Aspen copses.