Spring has arrived in the boreal forest which filled with the melodies of songbirds this week at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. Many of our short distance migrants have established their breeding territories or have become rare as they travel to different habitats or farther north. Replacing them has been our long-distance migrants with most of our warbler species now present at the station. As such we are entering the most diverse period of the year and will be running our Great Canadian Birdathon Fundraiser on May 21. If you would like to support our Team Tanager, check out their Birdathon donation page.
The recent highlight at the station was a Yellow-billed Loon on May 12 which became our first sighting of this species since August 2001 and only our third sighting ever. This species has a circumpolar range and breeds in the far north of Canada, similar to the Pacific Loon and Red-throated Loon which we also rarely record during monitoring.
Many of us have been feeding resident birds over the winter, and may wish to continue feeding the new arrivals, but are wondering how to do so responsibly. Having bird feeders is a wonderful way to observe and connect with nature from our own homes. However, it is also very important to keep your feeders clean.
The United States was challenged over the winter by the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, bird flu) which is being brought north with migrating birds. Although this strain is still most common in waterfowl and the birds that hunt or scavenge waterfowl, it is not the only disease that affects birds. Dirty feeders may spread contagious avian diseases or birds 
may get sick from mould on old feed.
One of the ways we can help reduce spreading these illnesses is by cleaning and sanitizing our birdfeeders before refilling by rinsing them with soap and water. You can bring them in and scrub them or if there is not too much buildup you can run it through a cycle in your dishwasher. Or you may spray your feeders with a 5% bleach solution, let that sit for a few minutes, then rinse them with your garden hose. It is important to allow your feeder to dry before refilling to avoid the growth of mould.
Some birds like the Black-capped Chickadee are messy eaters and throw food and scraps on the ground. This waste can likewise spoil and should be raked and discarded regularly. This will help the birds, while also removing a potential food source for mice.
If you think you have spotted a bird that is sick, or if there is an outbreak reported in your area, you can take your feeders down for a couple weeks and sanitize them.
Join us at the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation for our 28th Annual Songbird Festival . On Saturday, May 24th, head out in the morning to enjoy a free pancake breakfast, birding walks, LSLBO tours, workshops and lots of family fun. Then on Sunday, May 25th, join us for the 19th Annual Bird Run/Walk (5K/10K). For more information on any of the weekend activities or to download the Bird Run/Walk registration form, visit our Songbird Festival event page at lslbo.org
By Braidi Locke, Boreal Educator
