iN PHOTOS: Migratory birds are returning to Okanagan, Kamloops

Spring weather is bringing an influx of migratory birds to Kamloops and the Okanagan, and this week photographers are snapping photographs of three of the earliest arrivals: the mountain bluebird, western meadow lark and red-winged blackbird.

All three birds have brightly coloured plumage making them perfect photography subjects. 

Mountain bluebirds are small thrushes with round heads and thin bills, lankier and longer-winged than other bluebirds, according to All About Birds.

A male mountain bluebird sits on its perch in the South Okanagan. iNFOnews.ca/ Lew W Dewar

They take on human-altered habitats, nesting in bluebird boxes and foraging in pastures. The females focus more on good nest sites than males, choosing a mate on the basis of the locations and quality of the nest he offers her. The males often feed the females while they’re incubating and brooding. The birds compete fiercely with other birds for nest sights, arriving early in spring to get the best spots.

Western meadowlarks are of the blackbird family with bright yellow breasts crossed by a black V-shaped band, and a unique call. Their nests are partly covered by grass and some have entrance tunnels. The males usually have two mates at the same time. The females do all the incubating and brooding, and most of the feeding of the young.

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Male red-winged blackbirds are hard to miss with their sleek black plumage and bright red shoulder patches, while the females are brown. During mating season, the males will find a perch and sing all day long, hoping to attract a female.

If you snap photos of migratory birds you want to share, send them to news@infonews.ca.

A female mountain bluebird is spotted in the South Okanagan. iNFOnews.ca/ Edwin Dukes

A female mountain bluebird is spotted in the South Okanagan. iNFOnews.ca/ Edwin Dukes

The patches of a red-winged blackbird pop out against the grasslands. iNFOnews.ca/ Myron Rosvick

This brightly coloured meadowlark was photographed in the South Okanagan in March. iNFOnews.ca/ Shirley Sobkow